What Price Glory
by See That Guy
Summary: A young man succumbs to injuries resulting from an accident and finds himself on dragon-infested Berk. The weight of his predicament changes him from a happy, outgoing, kindly young man to an angry, solitary, morose shell. Can he be saved from himself?
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

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**"That guy's got to stop... he'll see us."**

**-James Dean's last words, prior to a fatal car crash**

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Sometimes I think about life, about the meaning of it all.

Doing what you want with it, that is, enjoying what you do for a living... that's the name of the game.

Get up, go to work, come home, rest, go back again. You spend more than half of your life working. Why can't it be something you enjoy? If you can make money doing what you love to do; doing something that doesn't feel like a job... then you win.

That's happiness.

For me, happiness came from astronomy. I love it very much, and I always have. I love the stars. I love the planets. I love the galaxies.

I love the sky. I see stars dancing in the night, and I imagine myself flying among them.

I adore the sky.

I was in the right place for it all. My major was Astronomy, in the University of Colorado.

It was the first big school I'd gone to. I was so accustomed to cheaper schools that this one felt prestigious. I felt like I shouldn't be there, but the scholarship I'd earned from the grades I earned in community college made me feel proud. That scholarship covered $12,500 of my $18,000 tuition this first semester.

My first semester was... interesting. I was adjusting through most of it, but I enjoyed my time so far. It was spent learning more about the subject I so adored. I almost didn't want it to end.

It's positively therapeutic.

Still, money was an issue. Even with the scholarship... money...

Well, money's _always_ an issue. We're not a rich family (not until I discover something awesome in the sky that nobody else noticed, anyway) by any extent. We're certainly not poor, but...

I'd never used a student loan before, because I hear horrible things about loans taking your hard earned money and your very soul as payment. Grants and a scholarship were sufficient enough to bring tuition at community college down to a level we could reasonably afford each year. Now, in my job (I sell Magipeel Vegetable Peelers), I earn a 4% commission on an $8 fixed rate, over a $4 item. I guess the commission is to make you feel better. Or maybe it's so I don't have to be paid minimum wage, which happens to be $8.50.

Needless to say, I don't make too much money. I have to work when I get off class most days, and my mind was on the financial situation I was soon to bear as I drove out into the snow (it having started about an hour before I left).  
Even with my meagre pay, I've asked multiple times if someone needs me to help pay my tuition, or if I'm needed to help pay a bill or two.

My mother never wants to take my money, and she always tells me that she'll let me know if she needs it. My father says I can give him some money for car insurance (I hear Veiko saves you 16% or more) each month. Frankly, as long as I make over $100 a month (which I do, unless it's an exceptionally slow month, such as following the holiday season), I'd be golden in that regard.

I was jerked out of my thoughts by my vehicle. I was on the highway on my way to class again, and I started to fishtail. I was beginning to lose control of the car, but I managed to right myself and escape a rear-ending I would've given to the SUV in front of me. I ended up in the left most lane after all was said and done. I righted the skid, and I was moving along normally again.

I sighed in relief, having almost spun out in weather like this before. I just needed to get out of this lane and back to the right most, because that's where the exits are.

I heard tires screeching. I checked my rearview mirror- nothing. I looked at the SUV- nothing (except the driver giving me the finger). The last thing I managed to do was look up. I saw a car careen into oncoming traffic, and we collided head on.

Maybe I should've just rear-ended the SUV.

End of Prologue

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**...**

**Yeah, it's one of those. You know, one of those "If it's enjoyable, then it stays, and if not, then I shoot it." Well, not shoot it. I mean, delete... yeah. What I'm trying to say is, what do you think so far? I know there's not a whole lot to work with yet, but it'll come.**

**This story is essentially banged out already. Last I checked, I've got 20 chapters, and probably not very long ones at that. **

**Yeah, I know. "But Chuck. Chuck. Chuuuuuuck. Chuck. But Chuck! What does this have to do with _How To Train Your Dragon?_" We'll get there. I'm not a nice person to my characters, remember? Or if you're new, then guess what? I'm not nice to my characters. Actually, I'm just not nice. Except for when I'm working and I get paid to be nice.**

**Next chapter covers this guy (his name is revealed then as well) receiving medical treatment for the head-on collision he just had, and there's a little more, too. I think.**


	2. In Spite of the Heavenly Morphine

**Chapter 1**

**In Spite of the Heavenly Morphine**

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**"Astronomy is the equivalent of scientific sex."**

**-Anonymous Astronomy Professor**

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I didn't lose consciousness, but when the pain welled up, I wished I did. I opened my eyes (a searing pain shot through the left one and I couldn't see through it), and found my head on my horn. The sound gradually came back to me, but the horn only continued going for so long before it cut out, probably due to the crash.

I heard a car door open and shut, and then another open and shut. There were quick footsteps and there was a knock on my window. I rolled my eyes in spite of the great pain to see the guy that crashed into me- he somehow escaped injury.

"Hey, don't move, kid. Don't move a muscle, you hear me?"

I felt blood beginning to leak out of my mouth and nose.

I heard another voice.

"There's been a bad accident on 93... no, I'm not involved. Two cars collided. One guy's walking around. He looks alright. The other guy is just mangled. Uh-huh. By exit 53. Just send someone quick."

The guy talking took a few steps towards us.

"Listen, man. I've got an extinguisher in my rig there. Lemme get it in case this thing catches fire."

I'd started shaking, like I was cold. My breathing was heavy, and very painful. I found it difficult to remain coherant, but I made every effort not to move too much.

I had to credit the emergency services response time. It didn't take them five minutes to get to us. Or, maybe it did. At this point, I was slipping in and out of consciousness. The guy that crashed into me kept yelling, telling me I'd be fine.

"I'm so sorry about this, kid. I wish it were you yelling to me right now."

The emergency personnel couldn't open my door. They had to use the Jaws of Life, or another hydraulic rescue tool.

When I was conscious again, I was in an ambulance being treated. I didn't stay conscious for very long.

I found myself in darkness, hovering above my mangled body. Suddenly, I could see through my left eye again. I felt good. Fantastic, even.

"My, my..." uttered a voice. Floating next to me was a beautiful woman in a white dress with red markings. She smiled mournfully at me. "You poor thing."

I said nothing, simply choosing to stare at the heart monitor in the ambulance. It was flatlining.

"Fear not the darkness, young one. Man's machines will chase it away this time."

She poked me in the chest and I felt a jolt. Then, she did it again, and I pulled in a breath of air from the gurney again. My body was racked with pain, and I was rapidly taken from the ambulance. Again, consciousness left me.

This time, I was out for a long while. I have no recollection of anything in that span of time. All I know is, when I woke up, the first thing I heard was a steady beeping.

My pain was dull. I opened my eyes (or eye, as there was a bandage over the other one) and the first thing I saw was a morphine drip, and I'd then learned just how much I heart morphine.

I would've said something, but there was a tube down my throat. It was helping me stay alive, I'm sure. Or my doctor is just a sadistic douche.

"Richard Miller... I hope you're feeling a bit better."

I tried to roll my eyes to the voice, but I felt a sharp pain in my left (even in spite of the heavenly morphine), and the heart monitor reflected the pain, if the BEEBEEP was any indication.

The voice, as if understanding my attempt, walked into my field of vision. It was a pudgy man with pink cheeks and not a hair on his head.

"I'm Greg Peabody, your physician. Listen carefully: You were in a near fatal car accident. Your eye was blown out, you punctured a lung, you broke nine ribs, and your stomach was perforated. Your heart stopped en route for nearly a minute."

At this point, the heart monitor went from steady beeping to fast paced beeping. Good ol' Dr. Peabody, though... he wasn't done.

"You underwent surgery, where you nearly died again. That was a few days ago now. Presently, you're stable. We have you on antibiotics as a deterrant against infection. Your insurance is covering this treatment, don't worry."

Good. I'd have wanted to be unplugged if it didn't.

I was struggling with the prospects I was presented with for a long while. After a few days, some things fell into place to my great relief. My professors, having heard of my accident and hospitalization, gave me a W in my classes and I was offered a re-take when I recovered. One professor told me that I was lucky to some degree. When he taught in California, one of his students was hit by a car on the way home and killed instantly.

The tube came out eventually, and I could breathe on my own again. My family and friends were surrounding me, I was given "Get Well Soon" cards from my classes and those that could not visit, and I was made only to rest. Even my place of work sent me a card.

Then, things took a turn, as they will.

I don't know what happened. I was watching a TV show about a fake psychic detective called _Gotcha!_ and all at once I had a problem breathing.

I felt my heart start beating erratically, and my mother stood up.

"Rick? Ricky, what's wrong?"

She left the room as quickly as she could looking for a doctor. At this point, I was no longer struggling, and I didn't feel my heart beating anymore (the machine told me it was still going, albeit slowly).

When Peabody got to the room, he kicked those visiting me out.

"He's had an event. We'll do what we can."

I felt myself shiver, and then my body... again, I felt fantastic. There was no more pain. I felt no stress. I was ageless.

The heart monitor was flatlining again.

Peabody tried to work on me. For a split second I felt again, but it only lasted a moment, which is what a split second is, if you didn't know. He called for more doctors, they tried the defibrillator again, but... it didn't work.

They worked on me for another ten minutes. Peabody looked at his watch.

"Time of death: 5:32 PM. I'm sorry, son. I'm so sorry."

With those words, he shut my eyes and pulled the blanket over my head.

_Though the passing is painful, the sleep is peaceful. Requiescat in pace._

End of Chapter

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**1, 145 words. I forgot to upload this part yesterday.**

**I've never been on morphine myself, but I've heard that it doesn't get rid of your pain. It makes you forget you had any.**

**Next chapter covers what happens after death. And you read it here on fanfiction, so it's obviously factual. **

**Finally, and I forgot to mention this earlier, but imagine this guy being from a universe where the _How To Train Your Dragon_ franchise does not exist.**


	3. Like A Dying Hyena

**Chapter 2**

**Like A Dying Hyena**

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**"It's stopped."**

**-Joseph Henry Green's last words, upon taking his own pulse**

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It was relaxing. There was no pain. I was flying.

I was _flying._ The breeze was cool against my face. I didn't want it to end. Nothing hurt anymore. Something told me I was perfectly healthy. I thought nothing could ruin that feeling.

Then I opened my eyes and a realization hit me.

I wasn't flying. I was _falling_. I was falling to the ocean beneath me.

I didn't have time to think. I righted myself in the air and made sure to hit the water feet first. I sunk deep, and the water was freezing.

I mean it. Freezing. I couldn't feel my fingers or toes from the moment I stopped sinking. I fought the urge to gasp, and I forced myself to the surface.

I looked straight up, trying to see where I fell from, but I saw nothing. I didn't have time to think about it then. I looked around for any sign of land and to my great relief I found an archipelago, maybe a mile out from my position.

Now, I'm a strong swimmer. I mean it. I'm really, really good. However, just how good I was at swimming didn't matter much in the water I was in. It was much too cold. Before I'd made it one hundred feet, I was exhausted. I knew why, too.

It was, well, too cold. My body was redirecting blood from my extremities to my core in an attempt at keeping me alive, but in so doing, my swimming abilities are limited. So I screamed, which is what I think you're supposed to do in that particular situation. Scream.

I probably sounded like a dying hyena. I screamed and screamed, trying to get some form of help before I drowned. While I was struggling to stay afloat (and screaming, I can't stress that enough), I got mouthfuls of the ocean water that surrounded me, which may have contributed to my getting sick. More on that later, though.

My screams continued for... I don't know how long. My mind got as tired as my arms and legs. I remember my screams getting fainter and fainter. I also remember being jerked upwards by the armpits and hearing a female voice say something. I assumed I was being pulled onto a ship, and then I passed out again.

X-X

I really needed to stop doing that. Passing out, that is. It seemed like for the better part of my short term memory I've been having roller coaster dreams. I was finding it difficult to know what was real anymore. Was I really in that accident?

I think I was. Don't they say you can't feel pain in a dream? I felt pain in that instance. No, I felt agony.

While I was in the hospital, I didn't feel much pain, if any at all. I thank morphine for that (and while we're on the subject, thank God for morphine, because if pain is a flawed gear in our design, then morphine is the lube that makes it run normally again), but then again, it could've been a dream. Perhaps everything that's occurred thus far actually WAS a dream, and I only think I felt pain. How do I know I am who I am? How do I know you are who you are?

I'd chalked the nearly drowning thing to another crazy dream, and I thought I was in my room at home. I even dismissed the car accident as a dream that was so realistic, I even felt the pain. You know, as I've already said.

I felt very ill now, though. My body was covered by a few blankets and there was a cloth over my eyes, but even so I felt cold. I couldn't smell anything, my head hurt, and my stomach ached. I imagined recent events were spawned by whatever kind of illness plagued me this time. I have weird dreams when I'm sick.

The bed was sturdy at best, which was exactly the way I liked it. For a while, I heard nothing, and I was weighing whether or not to go get another blanket from my closet, because I was shivering.

I didn't get up, though. Doing so meant exposing myself to the freezing cold air around me that probably wasn't realistically freezing cold. I was also quite comfortable and about ready to fall asleep again.

In fact, I think I may have done so, albeit only for a few moments (a ladybug passing gas would wake me up). I heard the floor creaking outside my room (as it usually did, courtesy of termite damage that still wasn't resolved, $1,200 later), and I assumed it was my mother. I suddenly wanted to see her very much, possibly to assure myself that everything I was remembering was a dream.

"Ma," I half-groaned, half called. The footfalls, until then retreating to another room, stopped, and changed direction. I heard a door open, and then I heard the footfalls better.

They were erratic, actually. This person walked with a thuTHUMP instead of a "Thump Thump Thump Thump Thump..."

"Hey," said a voice that in no way belonged to my mother. "Sorry, stranger. I'm not your Ma."

I said nothing. I felt a hand take the cloth from my eyes and my sight was flooded by a room

End of Chapter

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**910 words. Yeah, this'll probably be full of shorter chapters. You know, like this one.**

**I am well aware of the fact that there is no period at the end of the final sentence of the chapter. Imagine this guy describing to you what was going on, and then abruptly stopping with an expression not unlike "0.0" on his face.**

**Next chapter is from someone else's POV. His name is Jay Baruchel. (Did I butcher that? I'm pretty sure I did.)**

**Now, bring me the head of a pig, and a goblet of something cool and refreshing! (It's alright, I'll get it myself.)**

**I'm going to go to sleep now.**


	4. Riding and Habitual Drinking

**Chapter Three**

**Riding and Habitual Drinking**

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**"I am become death, the destroyer of worlds."**

**-J. Robert Oppenheimer**

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He was a slender kid like me with shortish brown hair. His eyes were blue, but they were open so wide I was afraid they might pop out. He stared at me with an indescribable look on his face. Horror won't cut it.

I suppose I could say that, if all the stress, anguish, and utter disaster I've sown upon my village in the past materialized as one living being, it would be this fellow we had recovering from fever.

"My name's Hiccup," I said. "What's your name?"

He didn't respond. He just kept staring at me, eyes as wide as they could safely be; from that stare and his silence I figured that he wasn't sure of where he was.

On Berk, we ride dragons. Of course, there are still people from the mainland to other archipelagos that view our friends as monsters. Some of those people have very large armies; larger squads than Berk's entire force. We were good, but... if our neighbors found out about how we view dragons, there could be trouble.

If Hyrule's army found out, for example... Berk wouldn't be Berk anymore, and the dragons would be gone.

I bring up our friends for a reason: I wasn't sure where this guy was from yet, though I didn't think he was someone I couldn't trust (I'm usually pretty good at reading people). One of my fellow riding instructors found him drowning about a mile out to sea and brought him here. We figured he was shipwrecked, but Astrid claimed not to have seen any debris in the water. We sent out a few ships nonetheless.

"Where are you from?" I asked. Still, I was met with no response. He simply stared. I understood why he said nothing. He was shaking, and I was sure there was more to it than just the fever. He hardly even blinked. He could've passed for a statue if he'd only stopped shaking.

Still, I didn't want him to feel like I was interrogating him (which I wasn't), so I patted him on the shoulder and smiled.

"That's okay, I'll do the talking for now. You're on Berk. I don't know if you've ever heard of it before, so I'll just say it: We get five or six days of warm weather each year. The food is bland, the snow is heavy, and there's not much to do here other than one or two hobbies: riding and habitual drinking. I'll explain the former later."

I took a breath, and looked back at him. His eyes weren't so wide anymore. They looked like they were drooping, like he was getting tired again. We only reeled him in earlier in the day, anyway.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to keep you from resting. You _do_ have a fever."

He was still silent.

"Before I stop bugging you, do you want a drink? We've got water, milk, and I can make some tea if you want it."

He shook his head slightly. I smiled again.

"Well, I'll be right in the other room if you want something, okay? Just call and I'll come right back. In the meantime, try to get some more rest. I'll bring up dinner in a few hours."

With that, I stood and headed for the door.

"H-hey," the kid said quietly. "M- m- my name's Rick."

I turned back and smiled.

"Rick, huh? It's nice to meet you. Now, get some rest, okay? We'll talk more over dinner."

He said nothing else, and I walked out of the room.

Good talk!

End of Chapter

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**614 words.**

**I have to count merchandise tomorrow night. 8:30 pm until 5:30 am, I'll be taking inventory. Then I get to go to a doctor's appointment. Same day, in the morning.**

**Needless to say, this story won't be my top priority after I'm done. **

**I decided I didn't like "Come Fly With Me" as a different story name (I find it sounds fantastic with three glasses of Jack and sleep deprivation in you), so I changed it back to what I originally wanted to go with: What Price Glory.**

**Next chapter covers Rick's reaction to recent events. I've got the beginning done, and I have to say the first lines are some of my better work. **

**That thing at the bottom there? That's for reviews. If you want, you can tell me what I've done right or wrong so far in that box. If you don't want to, then that's cool too. Thanks for stopping anyway. And you see that thing at the top of the page? It's where you type URLs, which direct you to internet pages. Cool, huh?**

**I'm not advertising anything. I'm just teaching you how to internet like a boss.**


	5. Hiccup Horrendous Hairy Hacking Hathead

**Chapter 4our**

**Hiccup Horrendous Hairy Hacking Hathead**

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**"We have nothing to fear but fear itself."**

**-Franklin Delano Roosevelt**

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**FUCK!**

Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck...

Oh, man... Oh, no... Oh, fuck.

I zone out once, and what happens? I end up in a car crash, I nearly drown, I get a bad fever, and I wake up in a village that's apparently unfamiliar with all things technological.

And that racket outside is unbearable. It sounds like a herd of elephants having an orgy just outside the window all hours of the day. I guess it's just like home.

The people that are housing me are alright, I guess. I had to explain to Hiccup (one of my hosts) that I was not shipwrecked among other people. I didn't bother trying to explain what happened to me because I don't fucking know what happened to me I just was going to school and now I'm on a comfortable bed recovering from a fever with elephants having sex outside... okay, take a breath, Ricky... Take a breath...

Hiccup and Stoick are my hosts. Hiccup is a 22 year old guy about my height and build, but he is missing a leg. He's also one of the nicest guys I've ever met. He's got short brown hair, wears a green shirt and black pants, and has a fur vest, and a furred boot. He has a very long name (Hiccup Horrendous Hairy Hacking Hathead, or something like that), and... well, he told me I was resting in his room.

That makes me uncomfortable. I don't like sleeping in other people's beds. I never did. Doesn't feel right. Still, he told me it was okay, as I was sick, which didn't really make me feel any better but I pretended it did. There's a large animal bed in the corner (at least I think that's what it is), but no animal. Maybe it died.

Stoick... is Hiccup's father, and he is his son's polar opposite. He's as his name suggests: Stoic. He's also very large. I don't mean overweight, I mean the guy looks like he could bench a neutron star. He terrifies me worse than Slenderman did when I was sixteen.

Slenderman's the being that disappears people. Stoick the Vast is the guy that disappears Slenderman.

Though I'm told to do the contrary, I'm actually getting very little sleep now that I know that I don't know jack about where I am located. Granted, it's only been a day, but I'm scared.

Where will I go when they kick me out? Should I just sleep under a bench or something? I don't know.

Hiccup had been checking up on me throughout the day, seeing if I needed anything, which I usually didn't (I needed a bathroom once or twice, to which he directed me). He told me he wanted to speak with me more about where I am located over dinner tonight, and I didn't really say anything, which I guess meant "Yes."

So began a very one-sided conversation, and a very one-sided dinner, considering I was picking, not eating.

It was some kind of bland stew, and I also got a piece of bread and some milk with it. For whatever reason, Hiccup wanted me to stay in bed to eat, perhaps because I wasn't recovering from the illness with anything other than my own immunoresponse. It's been suggested that not taking it easy while ill with even a common cold can cause something to become a more serious illness.

He ate a few spoonfuls of the stew and studied me for a moment.

"Say, Rick, have you heard any of the noises outside? You know, the scratching, the animals, things like that?"

"Yes," I said.

"Are you curious as to what causes those sounds?" he asked.

"Yes," I said. His windows were shut since I woke up to keep the warmth in for me. I didn't even know what the village looked like. For all I knew, his house was very primitive, but the rest of the village had flying cars or something.

"Eat some more. Well, I'll tell you about it, but don't freak out, okay?"

"Yes," I said.

"Have you ever heard of dragons?" he asked.

"Yes," I said.

He smiled. "Good. That makes things easier. Well, you've surely heard of people fighting them before, right?"

"Yes," I said.

"Have you heard of a person nobody understands that can turn into a dragon at will?"

"That sounds stupid," I said.

"It is, I'm just messing with you. Anyway, there are dragons on Berk. With me so far?"

"Yes," I said.

"For a long time, we fought these dragons and kept them off Berk. Still with me?"

"Yes," I said.

"I showed the village that we can be friends with the dragons, not enemies. We ride dragons here now. When you hear strange sounds outside, it's because dragons are landing around us."

"Start again," is what I wanted to say. Instead, I was silent.

Hiccup must've seen a funny look on my face, because he reassured me that the dragons were harmless until provoked.

"I'd like to introduce you to my dragon, Toothless. Would you feel comfortable in my allowing him in here to see you?" he asked.

"No," I said. Hiccup didn't recoil or anything. He just smiled.

"No? What if I tell you a little more about them, would you feel a little more at ease then?"

"Maybe," I said. By now, my stew had cooled, and I still had more than half left. Hiccup finished his, but he hardly touched his bread.

He went on to tell me all about his dragon, a "Night Fury." It was the most intelligent of all the breeds (he told me exactly how many there were, but I wasn't listening) of dragons.

"Toothless has the ability to communicate with humans telepathically. He is very particular about who he opens up to, though... whether or not he decides to speak to you is not the point. The point is, he's very nice. If you need a rock, he's your guy- err, dragon."

I stared silently.

"I trust him with my life every day. Believe me, you can trust him, too. Now, would you be okay with me bringing him into the room?" he asked.

At first, I was frozen. I don't know if it was Hiccup's good-guy demeanor, his hospitality, his charm, or his fucking choice of wardrobe that got me to agree. I nodded so slightly that I wasn't quite sure I nodded, and he stood up.

"Toothless," he called to the door. "Toothless, you can come in, bud."

A moment passed before the door completely opened. My breath hitched at the sight, but only just. Until then I'd thought that the door was so wide because Stoick lived here, but this beast, though not thick, had a large wingspan. I could tell before he unfurled them, which he didn't while we were inside, which I was thankful for, because had he unfurled them I think he would've taken out a better part of the room, myself included.

Toothless padded straight over to Hiccup, and shoved his big head into his chest with what sounded like a growl of contentment.

"This is Toothless," said Hiccup. Toothless fixed his kindly green eyes on me, as if to say, "Hi, I'm the aforementioned Toothless."

He looked more bat than dragon. I mean, there was something about his body that was draconic, but I thought "bat" before I thought "dragon" at any rate.

"Toothless," said Hiccup, jolting me from my thoughts. "This is Rick. He'll be staying with us for a while, okay?"

Toothless let out a throaty growl in response, and seemed to smile at me, as if pleased to make my acquaintance. I just sort of stared dumbly at him, because what else was I going to do in that situation? Where I'm from, dragons are mythological (except Komodo Dragons and that strange beast that emits awful sounds that we call Lady Gaga). What, was I going to smile and be happy and merry, maybe hug a rainbow or something? No more than four days ago, I was recovering from an accident, and I was doing a damned fine job of it, too. Three weeks ago? I was in class, worrying to some degree about continued sessions, but otherwise very happy with where I was. Now, I'm without my family, friends, and past worries. Excuse me if I'm not happy with it. My sudden change of scenery, that is.

Hiccup was telling me all about Toothless while my mind continued to reel, and I quite frankly didn't give a flying fuck what he was saying, so I just kind of nodded when it felt appropriate to nod. I even threw in a few "I understands" for good measure.

After he was done talking at me, he stood again.

"I've got to go run a few errands, so if you need anything, just call for my Dad."

I nodded, but I wasn't going to call for his Dad.

"Before I go, though, are you thirsty?"

I shook my head. He looked at my bowl of stew for a moment.

"Still not feeling well, huh? Hope what you ate sits with you okay." He took his empty bowl and my not empty bowl, and started towards the doorway.

"If you get hungry again, just let one of us know, alright? When you're feeling better, I'll take you around the island and get you settled."

He wandered out of my field of vision with Toothless following, and he faltered for just a moment. I knew what he was thinking: How long was I going to be on this island? I told him nothing of my predicament on account of having no freakin' clue myself, but I did half-lie to him and say that I presently had no family to speak of.

I didn't ask if I could stay on the island for good. I'd resigned myself to drifting for the rest of my life (or afterlife, depending on whose side you're on).

That which I wanted to dedicate myself to is defunct as far as I'm concerned. I'm going to just have to do what I can to be useful. I guess I'll exist, day after day.

I'm in hell, aren't I?

End of Chapter

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**1,721 words.**

**Maybe I could've named this chapter "FUCK!"**

**However, if I were to do that, then it would look something like:**

**Chapter 4our**

**FUCK!**

**"QUOTE"**

**-QUOTE GUY**

**FUCK!**

**I don't know if you see the problem there, but I do. Bottom line, I'm very proud of how I started this chapter. It felt really good to unleash all that. Maybe I should start each chapter like that, even after I'm done with this story... nah. **

**Next chapter covers getting over the illness, learning more about the village, and meeting a few new people. We're going to see Rick's reaction to that sort of stuff next. Because I said so.**


	6. I Called Them John and Johnifer

**Chapter Five**

**I Called Them John and Johnifer**

* * *

**"You sin in thinking bad about people- but often, you guess right."**

**-Giulio Andreotti**

* * *

I was no longer bed-ridden after another day. My fever broke, my head cleared up, and I found myself able to walk further than two feet without being thrown off my equilibrium. I wanted to get out badly. I've still not seen much of the village yet, though I'd peered out the window once or twice at some trees.

The only real thing that continued to bother me as my illness withered was the constant knot in my stomach.

I was beginning to think that the stomach pains were not related to my illness.

Hiccup led me out of his room and down the steps for breakfast.

"I'm glad you're feeling better," he said. "Now I can show you around the island a bit!"

"Joy."

My response made him falter, but he wasn't insulted. At least, I don't think he was. Ah, since when did I give a damn?

He still forced a smile. "Yeah, Berk's not the nicest place on Earth. You get used to it, though."

Breakfast consisted of a few pieces of bread, milk, cod, and a couple of eggs. Cod's a very acquired taste, but I like it. That's the Norway in me.

I draw the line at sperm sacs.

"So," said Hiccup between bites of his bread.

"So."

"We've never discussed your future," he said.

"That's true."

"You mentioned having no family, is that right?"

"I'm dead to my family," I said. Such a statement gave Hiccup pause. He studied my eyes for a moment, and I resumed eating.

"I-I'm sorry if I brought up a bad memory," he said.

I was silent.

"...I was going to ask you what your plan for the future was."

I was silent.

"...Rick?"

I pointed to my mouth with one hand and Hiccup nodded with understanding. I swallowed the mouthful of food, and looked at him.

"I'm planning on wandering around. I'll find ways to survive."

"What are you good at?" he asked. I shrugged.

"C'mon, everybody has something they're good at."

"I'm good at skywatching and basic construction," I muttered. It was true, too. After all the work my mother had me put into our house to make it worthy of the market, I now knew how to do a lot of home improvements: spackling, painting, insulating, simple repairs, and I can even fix a roof.

"You don't have to wander around, then."

I stared at him. He smiled.

"If you've really got no place else to go, then why don't you just stay here on Berk? It'll save you having to waste time and money on travelling, and we have need of a home renovator. Now, especially. The guy we usually use broke an arm and a leg a week ago."

I continued staring.

"What do you think? Want to stay on Berk for a while?" he asked.

I shrugged. "Ain't like I've got anywhere better to go."

"Cool! Now, if you're ready, let me show you around."

I nodded, picked up my dishes, and put them in the nearby washbasin. Hiccup tossed me a furred vest.

"Before we go out, put that on. You're going to need it."

About my current wardrobe: I was borrowing a few of Hiccup's clothes, being about his build. He'd lent me a grey shirt, brown pants, and this brown fur vest. All of the clothes seemed to be made of wool.

"What happened to my clothes?" I asked, because I'd never really asked before.

"You weren't wearing any when we found you in the water."

I suddenly wished that I never asked.

I'm bothered more by the fact that I am using a lot of what belonged to Hiccup. It's not that I really liked the guy. All I knew so far was this guy seemed nice, but I'm pretty sure that he's just being courteous to the new guy. I'm expecting him to cool in his attitude towards me soon enough.

At least that saved me the trouble of having to explain just what it was I was wearing when they found me. I have no intention of going too far into my predicament with anyone on the island. It just felt like a disaster waiting to happen, and I don't even want to think about it.

I'm still going to end up thinking about it, of course, because that's how the brain works. It focuses on stress. When have you ever woken up from a great dream, and then went back to sleep and resumed that dream? If it's a nightmare, of course... you can't get rid of it.

I can't get rid of this nightmare.

* * *

It goes,

"We real cool. We left school.

We Lurk late. We strike straight.

We Sing sin. We Thin gin.

We Jazz June. We Die soon."

* * *

The village was as I'd imagined: small. It was nestled between a mountain and a cliff. The mountain was very icy and at certain parts of the year unclimbable, but the cliff had two ways down: the ramp built along the face (at the bottom was a harbor for the village's boats and any trading vessels), or the fast way. It rhymes with "thump", a sound not unlike the one you'd make upon reaching the bottom.

There was a blacksmith (he'd stepped out when we were visiting), a marketplace, a mead hall, and even a Pantheon of sorts.

"Sorry we haven't tried flying," he said. "I'd have taken you, but I'm still working on Toothless' tail fin. It got damaged."

"Yes."

Hiccup stopped walking and grabbed me by the shoulder.

"Hey, are you okay? You've been very quiet since you got here."

"I'm okay."

"Well, you don't sound it."

"I said 'I'm okay'," I said again. Hiccup was silent for a moment, then relented.

"Alright, if you say so. Tell me if something's on your mind, okay?"

"Yes," I said.

Hiccup led me to a large arena-looking place. It was almost like a black-box theater: seating surrounded the actual arena itself from above. The arena itself was largely empty, save for a few barrels here and there.

There were large double doors opposite the entrance. I'd assumed that room was used for storage.

There was nobody else here yet. Hiccup told me a little bit about it.

"This was once a kill arena. Doesn't really look like it anymore, does it?" he asked.

"Nope."

"If you'd been here when we were in our prime of dragon killing, there were times where you'd be hard pressed to find a spot that wasn't red."

I said nothing.

"Sorry, I shouldn't bring that stuff up to someone so new to the island."

I was still silent. Hiccup started picking up a few odds and ends lying around. I didn't have anything to do, so I just righted a barrel that was lying on its side.

We weren't here long before other people started showing up on dragons that scared me. There were only four other people that showed up, but that's four more dragons that I needed to accept as real. Maybe five, even. One of them had two heads.

Hiccup gave me a surprise quiz on the types of dragons that arrived. I was _really_ surprised, but I was lucky the other people that rode them here were busy talking amongst themselves, so only he heard my responses... as did the dragons that I was still trying to trick myself into being imaginary.

"Come on, Rick. Give it a shot." He pointed at the two headed beast, which in turn smiled kindly at us.

"Nickelback."

The dragon almost seemed to laugh. Well, one of the heads did. The other looked horribly offended (can you blame it?), which made me glad I was in Hiccup's company for the first time since I got here.

"No, Hideous Zippleback."

I then proceeded to butcher the names of the others. Hiccup told me I was close with one (Nanner), but I was way off with the self-lighting dragon (Derpasaur), and I was even further off with the heavy dragon (Nicki Minaj looking motherfucker).

After I finished getting all the names wrong, he introduced me to the other riders: Astrid, Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut (I called them John and Johnifer, because they looked like a friend of mine), and finally, Fishlegs.

Astrid was gorgeous, and she was the one that rode the Nanner, which she named "Stormfly." She had long blonde hair, fair skin, and apparently had a thing for Hiccup, if the kiss was any indication.

Astrid was also the one that pulled me out of the water, so I thanked her for that.

John and Johnifer looked kind of like my friend, as I've stated: long blond hair, near vacous look in their eyes, slender frames... but regarding mentality, they were spitting images of him. Hiccup told me that they don't get along too well most of the time, at which point they proceeded to argue with each other about how well they get along. They were the ones that rode the Nickelback; one head named Barf and the other Belch.

Snotlout was an asshole with medium length black hair and a muscular build. His dragon was the Derpasaur, or Hookfang. That's all I want to say about those tools, considering Snoutlout tried to start shit with me the moment he saw me.

Fishlegs was blond haired, and a good six foot something. He was kind of big boned, by which I mean he was fat. He's the one that rode the Nicki Minaj looking motherfucker that he named Meatlug.

I didn't really react to anybody except Astrid, who as I mentioned, I said "Thanks" to. Hiccup must've thought that I thought there were more people.

"That's really all the riding instructors. It's just us. You probably gathered that Snotlout specializes in Monstrous Nightmares, Astrid in Deadly Nadders, Ruff and Tuff with Hideous Zipplebacks, and Fishlegs with Gronckles."

"Hiccup here specializes in everything," said Fishlegs.

I didn't want to be rude, so I said, "Hi."

Then I left.

I just sort of walked away. I wanted time to myself.

"Rick?"

"Where are you going?"

"What's his problem?"

"He's just afraid of me."

"Shut it, Snotlout."

"Stop it, guys. This is all still new to him. He probably just needs time to adjust," said Hiccup. I heard Astrid say something in agreement, and then I got too far to hear anything else that they talked about.

* * *

_Jelly, jelly, jelly_

_All night long_

_Behold the invisible!_

* * *

Call me a pessimist, but I doubt I'll be able to adjust to everything that has been dumped on my shoulders as of late. I just want to skywatch...

What the hell did I do to deserve all of this?

End of Chapter

* * *

**1,812 words.**

**"We Real Cool" is the entirety of a poem by Gwendolyn Brooks. It's about existentialism and dissent, and about those that give up on the future.**

**"Jelly, jelly, jelly..." is a reference to Percival Everett's _Erasure._**

**I mix the twins up so bad. Which one is the guy and which one is the gal?**

**Next chapter covers what Rick does to stay useful around the island. **


	7. Not Enough Teeth

**Chapter Six**

**Not Enough Teeth**

* * *

**"I've been accused of vulgarity. I say that's bullshit."**

**-Mel Brooks**

* * *

I met Stoick the Vast in town square. This was actually my second time meeting him. The first was in his house while I was bed-ridden, and he mostly ignored me (he was more interested in asking Hiccup something).

"Good morning, boy," he said in an ever-patronizing tone. "I trust you're settling in well enough?"

"Yes," I said.

"I ran into Hiccup a minute ago. You know what he said? He said that you were considering making a home on this island."

"Yes," I said. I tried to look unafraid of him, but my heart was pounding as he spoke and I feared he was trying to tear me apart with his vision.

"Let us talk about that, then..."

He took a step forward and I retreated a step by mistake. I swear I felt the earth shake a little with that one step. This guy would make Slenderman his bitch.

He took another step forward and I stepped back again. The look in his eyes was menacing, and my composure was dwindling further.

Suddenly, he leaned back and started laughing a hearty laugh.

"Relax, boy. It's good to have a new face around the village. Of course, you know that there are rules around here, right?"

"Yes," I said.

"As long as you don't do anything criminal or overtly obnoxious, you're welcome here... assuming you earn your keep, of course."

"Yes."

"What are you good at?"

"Skywatching," I said.

"Come now, a _skill!_"

...Skywatching _is_ a skill, you prick. I didn't say that out loud, of course.

"...Basic construction."

"Now, that's a skill we can use."

He pointed towards the blacksmith.

"Gobber'll lend you tools when you're working. You can open up a stand next to him tomorrow. Just think of a name and a slogan. Don't work yourself too hard, of course. Maybe Hiccup can take you flying with Toothless when he fixes that darn tail fin."

Stoick proceeded to pat me on the back hard enough to dislocate a weaker framed man's shoulder.

"Good talk, now go introduce yourself to Gobber. He won't bite. Not enough teeth to do damage, anyway."

With that, Stoick earthquaked down the road, probably to go find a tiny child or dragon to eat. I had nothing else to do, so I went to the forge to get some equipment and build a stand...

* * *

RICK'S RENOVATIONS

"I do it nice when I do it twice."

* * *

and

then the weeks pass.

* * *

_**Revolution! Revolution!**_

* * *

I really thought that he would open up more if we gave him a little time, but... that look he had, when he first woke up and saw me?

If it left his face, it was replaced by a look of anger. I never saw him smile, and he rarely spoke more than one or two words at a time:

Good.

Hi.

What do you need done?

Okay.

Three gold for the renovation.

Shut up.

I'm fine.

Yes.

"Yes" seemed to be his favorite answer. He never started conversations with anybody save for asking a question or something. He hated when people asked about him.

He prefers to be left to his own devices at all times. If you don't bother him, he won't bother you, but if you wrong him, he becomes... vicious. I've tried to get him to open up to me or even Toothless, but he just tells me he's alright.

I know I won't get anywhere by making him mad, so I leave it at that. Sometimes, though, he worries me. He and Snotlout have nearly come to blows on more than one occasion, and whenever they meet it usually ends with one or the other storming off. Toothless and I are worried that Rick's going to hurt himself or someone else, and my Dad doesn't have much tolerance for such behavior among fellow villagers.

I get especially worried when he and Snotlout are within 10 metres of each other. Snotlout just makes it his mission to irritate newcomers to the village. Every time someone visits, is restocking, or is even _thinking_ about Berk, it seems like Snotlout makes it a point to become more outspoken and tricky.

His pranks and insults always brought Rick to a boil, causing him to respond in an equal fashion. Some would call it friendly rivalry, but I call it a fight waiting to happen.

So I worry. Rick's not going to talk to me about anything, and Snotlout certainly won't listen to me...

I don't know... Maybe Snotlout will get bored and stop bothering him?

Fat chance.

End of Chapter

* * *

**780 words.**

**Next chapter covers a little conversation between Fishlegs and Rick.**


	8. To Tend to the Meatball

**Chapter 7**

**To Tend to the Meatball**

* * *

**"When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down 'happy.' They told me I didn't understand the assignment. I told them they didn't understand life."**

**-John Lennon**

* * *

"Nails."

"Is that it?"

"Yes."

"Nails?"

"Nails."

It should be noted that, though Gobber looked like a real Viking, his demeanor was goofy, almost childish, opposite of Viking-like, and near ridiculous. Though he was missing a hand, a foot, and a bunch of teeth, he was a good blacksmith. I've never had a manufacturing problem with anything requested from him.

There was a screech.

"I'm coming, I'm coming... yeesh, all that screamin', you'd think your teeth were being pulled out of your face... Nails, right?"

I said nothing. Gobber came back to me with a brown bag full of the metal objects he'd made himself.

"Finest iron, they are."

"No such thing."

"Well, I- alright, already! It's been sore for four days, what's another minute?"

With my payment in hand, he left. I scowled down at the nails. Again, it's not the manufacturing, it's the ore used. Iron sucks for nails...

...okay, I guess it _is_ the manufacturing.

Iron sucks when it comes to most constructs. It's too hard as a metal, and as such it's liable to become brittle... but I shouldn't compain. Iron nails are cheaper, and they get the job done, except for when they don't.

"Hi."

I looked up and saw Fishlegs. He was holding a bucket of fish and I cringed a little, but said nothing.

"What's going on?" he asked.

I still didn't say a word. I was content with setting the nails down and getting to work on the roof repair I had to do today, so I rested the ladder on the building's side, picked up the nails, and climbed up again.

"You know, it's rude to ignore people like that."

"Yeah? It's rude to bother someone that's in the middle of something too, stupid."

Now, Fishlegs is a very soft spoken person, from what little I know about him. He does not raise his voice and does not voice his opinions. He is, in spite of all outward appearances, a coward in the complete sense of the word.

So, _why_ did he have the audacity to shout "Hey!" after my remark, when he should've wandered off to tend to the meatball he called a pet?

I climbed down the ladder to listen to what he had to say, and also because I forgot my hammer.

"Listen, I take a lot of abuse in stride, but that's among friends."

"No, you take abuse in fear of what would happen if you react. You're a wimp."

"I... I... I'm not here to talk about me."  
"Oh? Then please: what's on your mind?"

"Do you know what I see when I look at you, Rick?"

"No, but I totally care. Please, enlighten me."

He took a breath and I gave him space because those fish reeked.

"I see a broken down, sad husk of a young man, angry at the world over a robbery of what he felt he was entitled to. You may have won the favor of a few villagers here for your work on their houses, and I'm sure Hiccup sees something worth saving in you, but all I see is damage when I look at you."

I was silent, and I felt myself gripping the hammer tightly, so tightly that the skin on my knuckles stretched.

"You disgust me," he said. "So hung up are you on the past that you are blind to the future. You're totally unwilling to change. You're simply absorbed in thoughts of past glories as well as whatever price you believe you've paid. I gave you weeks to adjust, but my patience with you is out. You... you're a bully. You're cruel. You're cold."

My other hand balled into a fist. Fishlegs took an uneasy step forward.

"You're broken."

I made it a point to swing the fist, not the hammer, lest I damage it. One swing, and all the courage that big fat cunt worked up drained away.

I didn't knock out any teeth, but I bloodied his nose. He took a few steps back, eyes betraying nothing but horror. I pointed to him with the hammer.

"Talk to me like that again, and I'm going to be holding a bloody hammer and you'll be choking on a mouthful of teeth. Go cry to your walking boulder about that little bruise."

He did the one thing he was exceptional at: he ran. I did the thing that the village found useful: I repaired.

* * *

_**Revolution! Revolution!**_

* * *

The most important thing to remember about wood, I've found, is to sand along the grain. It keeps out unwanted scratches and is simply an easier method on you as a whole.

Not only does it make something more presentable, but it also makes it harder for the wood to splinter into the skin if dealt with incorrectly. The best woodworkers can even make intricate shapes out of a small block of wood.

Regarding this small statue, it's clunky. I'm not great at woodworking (it's smithing that I excel at), but I guess I'm not terrible at it.

"What do you think, Toothless?" I asked. I held out the small figure before him, which as of now looked alright, but it would look better once I got paint on it.

He snuffed at the little statue and smiled up at me.

_Wonderful._

"I think it'll be better once I get some paints on it."

_No paint. Try staining it. It'll be more consistent._

"And you know that how?"

He let out a throaty chuckle.

_Never doubt a Night Fury._

"Yeah, yeah... Toothless knows best."

_Excellent, so you are retaining what I teach you!_

There was a knock on my door, and I left my spot to go answer it.

"I'll just need to remember to stain it outside. Gobber stained something indoors once and it seemed like he went mad."

_Fumes have that effect on humans._

I opened the door to a shaking Fishlegs with a nosebleed.

"Hey, Fishlegs... what happened to your nose?"

He couldn't get a word out at first.

"What is it? Did Snotlout pull that bucket over the door thing on you again?"

He said nothing. I opened the door wider, and Toothless came to my side, too.

"Do you want to come in? I've got a cloth you can wipe your nose with."

"No!" he shouted.

"Woah, what's gotten into you?"

"I'm- I don't want to... Wait, does Rick still live here with you?"

"Yeah, until he gets enough money together for his own house. Why?"

"I don't want to be in or around the house he may return to... _IS THAT HIM?!_"

Fishlegs pointed behind me, still trembling. I glanced over my shoulder.

"Fishlegs, that's a furnace... why, did something happen?"

"He punched me."

"He _punched_ you?" I asked, as if I didn't hear him right.

"Yeah. I mean, I was trying to have a conversation with him and he was all, 'I'm working,' so I was like 'Don't you think it's rude to ignore someone?' and he was all..."

Fishlegs took a deep breath.

"He... I said a few things I probably shouldn't have said to him, and he punched me, and then threatened me with a hammer if I talk to him like that again."

Though my father is a very large man, he has a strange ability to sneak up on people while in the open. The look on his face told me he'd heard the entire exchange.

"Oh, is that so?" he asked... and then he got the look; the "I'm not disappointed, just angry" look. The beard always makes it worse.

"Dad, wait, he just-"

"Fishlegs, if he does anything like that again, tell me. Hiccup, this is not the way things are supposed to go."

Fishlegs backed out of the doorway. "I'm going home now. The long way. As in, around that crazy."

Toothless and I moved aside to let my Dad in the house.

"I need to get something. If he comes back before I do, tell him that if I hear about him lashing out like that one more time, there's going to be trouble, okay?"

"Look, Dad, just let-"

_"Okay?"_

I sighed. Toothless nudged me with his nose.

"Okay."

"Good. I don't want it any more than you, son... but to strike out at someone like Fishlegs..."

He trailed off, and I heard him climb the stairs to get whatever he needed. Fishlegs is a terrible liar. If he said Rick punched him, then Rick punched him.

"C'mon, Rick... what are you doing?" I asked nobody in particular.

_Want me to talk to him?_

"No. I want him to talk to us."

End of Chapter

* * *

**1,507 words.**

**Does it seem like a corny idea, yet? I kind of hope it does. It's supposed to feel that way.**

**Next chapter covers something, I'm sure. My outline is all the way on my computer's desktop and I'm already in this window. Something about Snotlout, I think. Maybe.**

**I don't know. I'll be crying in a corner if you need me.**


	9. One Happy Enchilada

**Chapter 8**

**One Happy Enchilada**

* * *

**"The easiest time to add insult to injury is when you're signing somebody's cast."**

**-Dimitri Martin**

* * *

Fishlegs told on me. What is he, a tiny child? I didn't even hit him that hard. He has a glass nose.

Hiccup told me that I need to keep my hands to myself. He said his Dad heard what I did and was upset about it. Sure enough, he really chewed me out for it.

I was even made to apologize, but he antagonized me. Where was my apology?

I half heartedly did as I was told, and I guess it was good enough, because Stoick left me alone again afterwards. Fishlegs still shrunk back whenever I was nearby and I lifted a hammer, and his dragon never forgave me for what I did.

There were only three living beings at any given time that were not angry at me lately: Toothless, who, being a Night Fury, boasted the kind of intellect and wit that often proved superior to a human's, Hiccup, who appeared to worry about me more than show anger towards me, and finally Astrid, who like Hiccup, showed worry over hostility.

John and Johnifer did not bother me much after the first prank, considering I retaliated quickly with cruel words and a worse trick. If only these people would just leave me to my thoughts instead of trying to antagonize me. If only, if only... I'd be one happy enchilada.

Fishlegs avoided me like the plague for four days after I hit him, and after that, if I was on one side of the road, he was on the other.

Snotlout... I hate him. Every time I see him, we get into a shouting match. He seems to have convinced himself that the Dragon Training Academy was going to replace him with me.

I told him dozens of times that I was not part of the Academy, and that I had no interest in being part of the Academy, and I had absolutely no desire to flutter above the ground on his derpy dragon like a disabled fairy.

He never bought it, so when I bumped into him while returning to my stand after a quick door repair, there was tension.

"Hey hey, it's Rick-o! What's going on?"

"Get out of my way, I'm in a hurry," I said, even though I wasn't. In a hurry, that is.

"Why? You going to the Academy? Everybody took a shine to you there, you know."

"The hell are you on about? Four people in the Academy hate me, your stupid ugly mug included. I told you, if you want to spend your time grooming your weirdo pet, that's your business."

"What's your business then, buddy boy?" he asked in an increasingly insulting tone.

"My business is building and wiping stupid grins off the faces of assholes like yourself."

"Is that why you're dead to your family, then?"

I dropped my hammer, my nails, the old hinges from the door, and the extra block of wood from the replacement. I turned and glared at him.

"What was that? What did you say to me?" I asked.

"You heard me."

"No, I'm thinking I didn't. It sounded like you said you wanted me to knock that pretty-boy smile off your face."

"Then put your money where your mouth is and throw a punch!"

So that's what I did. I threw a punch and caught him in his left cheek. Unlike Fishlegs, however, he fought back. I'm on the receiving end of a barrage of punches which left me battered and bruised, but still infuriated. I threw my weight into him and sent him backwards, and I started doing an assault on any part of him I could hit.

By now a crowd was forming and chattering. Women were muttering about immaturity, some men were cheering, others were jeering, some were leering, and more were sneering.

Snotlout brought a knee up and knocked me off him, and he started kicking me while I was down, but not for long. After he kicked me in the eye and nose, I caught his leg and brought him down again, and for the one black eye he gave me, I gave him two.

The fight ended abruptly when I was pulled off Snotlout by either Toothless or Hiccup, and Snotlout was restrained by the twins. There was no clear winner. I gave as well as I got.

I vaguely recall hearing Hiccup scold me, saying that this had to stop; that I had to stop.

"I have to stop? This fuck started it."

_"ENOUGH! _It doesn't matter how it started or who started it."

Oh, when did Stoick get here? He pointed a finger at Snotlout.

"Take him home. If he leaves before I show up, there will be trouble."

John and Johnifer listened. As for me... he grabbed me by the shoulder and tossed me towards another Viking.

"Take him to the Great Hall for now. I will deal with him in a moment."

* * *

_Behold the invisible!_

* * *

_**Revolution! Revolution!**_

* * *

I always see the good in people. I'm never wrong when it comes to such a reading.

I _always_ see the good in people, as I saw it in this guy, who to Toothless and I, seemed more lost boy than angry man. I was sure there was more to what happened between he and Snotlout than what we saw. Had we arrived thirty seconds sooner, I bet we would've witnissed a completely different scene.

"We've got to lock him up, if only for a while."

_That's wrong._

"Dad, that's not the right way to go about handling this."

"What is, Hiccup? Let him run amok in the village? We need a carpenter, yes, but I'd prefer one that didn't turn into a raging demon if you looked at him wrong."

"Let us handle it, Dad. He's a good guy, I can tell. Don't lock him up. Let him come back here, and if you give me time, I'll turn this behavior of his around."

_That's a promise. Tell him it's a promise._

"I promise," I said. I felt Toothless smile over at me, and my Dad sighed.

"Hiccup, you'd better have a plan. One more fight like that, and he's going to leave this island. _I_ promise."

I nodded. "Don't worry, Dad. I've got a plan."

* * *

I didn't have a plan. When Rick was being talked to by my Dad, I was talking with Astrid at the Academy about what was going on.

"I mean, you know I trust your judgement, Hiccup. If you say he's a good guy, then he's a good guy."

"Of course."

"...but if your Dad is serious about banishing him after another fight, then we need a plan- he could take up drinking!"

I shook my head. "He'll either become even more angry or become completely functionless. What if we find him a date?"

"If he won't speak to any of us, he's probably not going to speak to anybody else."

"Good point," I muttered.

She thought for a moment. She's pretty when she's pondering like that.

"What if we have Toothless talk to him and try to figure out what's wrong?" she asked after a few seconds.

"Same argument as the date thing. What if we show him some of our training exercises?"

"He won't pay attention. Maybe we could get him something to punch it out on?"

"He's already done a good job of punching it out on two of our fellow instructors..."

Astrid lay back against Stormfly with a huff.

"Then I don't know what to tell you, Hiccup. There's not much else I can think of. Unless you have an idea...?"

I started thinking for a moment.

"Did we do 'setting him up with someone' yet?" I asked. Astrid nodded, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

"Yeah, we've been there already. He won't talk to us, and he probably won't talk with anybody we get. We might as well set him up with a dragon or something."

I opened my eyes and looked at her with a smile, and then abruptly kissed her on the cheek, causing her to jolt and nearly fall sideways. Maybe I should've waited for her to open her eyes as well, but a bumbler's gonna bumble.

"Astrid, you're a genius!"

"What?"

"We set him up with a dragon!"

She cringed. "Hiccup, I don't think he's going to go along with that plan."

"No, I mean we set him up with Toothless here."

She cringed even more. "Okay, he _definitely_ won't go with that plan. I don't think Toothless will, either."

Toothless chuckled.

"No... I mean, when I'm feeling down, I fly with Toothless, and it always cheers me up. Maybe I can take him flying with me for a while and see if that helps. What do you say, bud? Feel like flying two people for a while?"

_No problem, Hiccup. Happy to do it._

Astrid stretched.

"It's getting late. Maybe you should try tomorrow."

I looked up at the soon to be night sky.

"I hope this works, Hiccup."

"So do I, Astrid. So do I."

End of Chapter

* * *

**1,487 words.**

**Yeah, I've got nothing.**

**Next chapter covers Hiccup's first attempt at getting Rick to fly with him.**


	10. What Chamberlain Said to Hitler

**Chapter 9**

**What Chamberlain Said to Hitler**

* * *

**"Forget not that the Earth delights to feel your bare feet and the wind longs to play with your hair."**

**-Kahlil Gibran**

* * *

I was given my second and final warning after my fight with Snotlout. I asked why it was such a big deal, and Stoick told me I didn't understand the island.

I guess that's true. I don't see why two little confrontations are leading me to get all but crucified.

Admittedly, I never acted like this before I got here. If someone said something smart to me, I'd make _them_ angry, not let them get me angry.

"What's happening to me?" I whispered to myself.

I'd ended up closing at around midday today. Word of the fight between Snotlout and I probably got around, which either didn't bode well for my image, or was just more important than a leaky roof.

It's sunny today. I've been here on Berk for about a month now and that's about the third time it has been. Sunny, that is.

I decided to just lay down on a bench somewhere and think for a bit. I had to cover my eyes with my hands because of the sun.

It's interesting. From where we are located, the sun is brilliant; so much so that if you stare at it too long, you'll damage your vision. However, the sun would hardly be visible were you to travel 10 parsecs, or about 33 light years away and look back. Apparent magnitude and absolute magnitude are not the same thing.

My eyes started to burn. When I used to think about things like that, I was always fascinated. Now, however... it just makes me think about days past, and then I think about my family, friends, classes, and my situation... and then I get mad.

I heard erratic footsteps approaching and I knew who it was.

"Hey, Rick. What're you up to?" asked Hiccup. I didn't move.

"This," I said after a few seconds. He tapped my leg a few times to get me to sit up, and I did with a sigh. He sat next to me.

"What do you want, Hiccup?"

"I wanted to see if you wanted to fly with Toothless and I."

He'd never asked me before, because after he fixed the tail fin (Toothless has to use a prosthetic for some reason), I was either busy with a renovation, or just ignoring everybody altogether. I didn't mind. Not being asked, that is.

"Not particularly," I said.

"Hey, c'mon," he persisted. "You've not been on a dragon since you were rescued, right?"

"No."

"Then why don't you want to come?"

"I won't like it."

"Well, how do you know if you've never tried it?" he asked. He was awfully persistent today...

"I just do," I said.

"That's not an answer," he said. "Please, try it."

"No, I won't like it."

"And we're back to my wondering how you could know that..."

I said nothing, and Hiccup stood up. For a moment, I thought he gave up, but he patted my shoulder.

"Let's go. Come fly with me, Rick. I promise you'll have fun."

I stared at him as he held a hand out to me. He slowly withdrew his hand and turned away.

"Okay," he said in a singsong voice. "If you don't want to try to find and prank Snotlout with me..."

I was silent for a few moments, but I relented because it would shut him up. I stood wordlessly, and he smiled.

"There we go, come on. You're going to like this."

Oh, fuck you, Hiccup.

He led me back to his house where Toothless was waiting. It was the first time I'd ever seen the dragon with a saddle on and a false tail fin. It was red, with a white skull on it. The false tail fin, that is. Hiccup saw me eyeing it and reassured me that it was safe to ride him.

He said, "I've been doing this for years. Don't worry, alright?"

I'm pretty sure that's what Hitler said to Chamberlain.

"Yes."

And I'm pretty sure that's what Chamberlain said to Hitler.

Hiccup climbed on Toothless' back and his prosthetic fit into a stirrup with a "click." He beckoned for me to get on behind him, so that's what I did.

"Hold on tight, getting into the air is the rough part."

I put my hands on his shoulders but said nothing. Toothless smiled back at us, and then Hiccup patted his neck.

"Whenever you're ready, bud."

As he said, the takeoff was rough, but quick. I felt myself jerked down and back a little, and I probably could've fallen had I not been holding on to Hiccup, who was holding on to Toothless' saddle, which was holding on to Toothless, who was holding on to nothing in particular.

After the initial takeoff, the flight was smooth. The cold air blowing on my face chilled me, but Hiccup didn't seem to mind it. Maybe he was trying to make me cold so I wasn't always at a seething boil.

"Well? What do you think?" he asked after a few minutes of silence.

"It's not bad."

"Do you understand why I like flying so much?"

"I guess."

_Don't be so stubborn._

I jolted at the voice and looked at Hiccup. He was focused on flying again, and Toothless gave me a knowing smile for a moment.

I said nothing.

Overhead were a few clouds and below I could see the entirety of Berk. Though when you walk its streets it appears to be large, it is only so then: when you walk its streets. It is not a large island, but it is the largest of those in the archipelago. I counted seven islands total, Berk included. Hiccup glanced at me and saw me eyeing them.

"It's nice, huh? Altogether, the islands are referred to as the Seven Sisters."

"Oh."

"I'm going to speed up, okay?"

"Yes."

That's what he did. He took us all around the island, over the at-the-moment-unclimbable mountain, low enough over the ocean for me to see fish swimming in it, and high enough above the advancing clouds to see the sun again. The sky was a darker shade of blue than normal and the temperatures began to drop further.

"This is as high as we can go, Rick," he said though I didn't ask. "Any higher and it gets too hard to breathe."

_I can survive at higher altitudes, but regrettably, you humans cannot._

"Okay."

We stayed above the clouds for a little while, but it quickly got too cold and we headed back to a lower altitude to warm up, though warm is a stretch on Berk.

"Hey, come on. This is better than lounging on an old bench, isn't it?"

"It's alright," I said. I could feel him smile.

"Glad you're not totally bored," he said, which I translated to "I told you so, I told you so, nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah..."

We kept flying around like that for about a few hours before Hiccup finally brought us back to Berk (we didn't see Snotlout, unfortunately). Though I wasn't doing anything, the flight made me tired. When we got off Toothless, he turned to face us.

"There we go. Thanks for coming with us, Rick."

My eyes must've been drooping, because Hiccup chuckled at me.

"The first flight always knocks you out. Why don't you go and get some rest?" he asked. I nodded, and wordlessly headed back to the house, choosing to go to bed without a meal.

_**Revolution! Revolution!**_

"So in short: one or two word answers, a few short sentences, no questions, and initial heavy resistance to my suggestion..."

_I think he enjoyed himself._

"I think so, too. We may have something with flying..."

_Hiccup, I thought I taught you this, already: Flying is _always_ the answer._

I chuckled and leaned back against his chest.

"What about swimming?"

_Never doubt a Night Fury._

I stared out at the sunset and felt Toothless gently settle his head atop mine.

"Tomorrow we'll try again, if you're alright with it."

_We can for as long as it takes. You're right about him: scared boy, not angry man._

"Don't say that to him."

_Wasn't even tempted._

"What I don't understand is what is behind these shows of anger."

_He's sad. That's why he acts out._

"I figured that, too, but... what is he sad about?"

_Maybe his family, maybe he's homesick, maybe something happened in the past that he's hung up on, or maybe he's sad that he doesn't have a good friendship with anyone on the island. We won't know until he tells us._

I smiled up at Toothless.

"Let's try to eliminate that last one."

_One flight at a time._

End of Chapter

* * *

**1,475 words. **

**Chamberlain was the Yes Man that favored appeasement when it came to foreign conflicts and policies.**

**Hitler was the Nazi piece of shit that soiled the true meaning of the swastika: peace, prosperity, goodness, and even good luck.**

**Next chapter covers another flight in an attempt to help Rick overcome his demons.**


	11. Tighter Than A Bug's Ass

**Chapter 10**

**Tighter Than A Bug's Ass**

* * *

**"You see, we are here, as far as I can tell, to help each other; our brothers, our sisters, our friends, our enemies. That is, to help each other and not hurt each other."**

**-Stevie Ray Vaughan**

* * *

I'm not sure what caused me to buy the steel nails today, but though they were a little more expensive, they were far more reliable than the iron ones were.

I made a point to purchase these steel nails for roofing jobs. It cut the time down considerably. Where roof repairs often took me up to three or four hours to complete, this one was going smooth. I was more than halfway done about an hour into the job.

I heard Snotlout let out a "Whooop!" and I heard Hookfang fly quickly overhead. He was high enough for me to lose interest and go back to work.

On a job that was similar to this one, I charged three gold for the entire thing, but given the fact that I was using these nails now, I made sure to charge more to compensate, or I'd be taking a loss.

Five gold was almost too much to ask for this homeowner. He tried to heckle me a little bit over it. If I'd charged him like they do where I'm from, he'd be singing a different tune about the five gold.

That man was tighter than a bug's ass, honestly...

Snotlout flew over me again with another "Whoooooop!" and this time I heard my ladder fall over. He turned Hookfang around and came back, and for a moment I thought he was going to put the ladder back up for me.

He didn't. I don't know why I thought he would.

"Wow, nice work on that roof there, friend!"

"Yeah, great. Why don't you get off your pet and put that ladder back up so I can get down?"

"I will if you beg."

"How about you just do it so I don't have to hammer some of these nails through your eyes?"

"I don't know how you'd manage that, since you're over there and I'm over here."

"Will you please put the ladder back up for me, Snotlout?"

"You're not begging. I want to hear begging."

"Not in this life, asshole. Put the ladder back up."

He grinned stupidly at me. I smacked the roof with my palm.

"Do it!"

He didn't say anything else, and just flew off. I was completely speechless, and just sort of stared into the distance for a while. Eventually I focused on the roof again, and after I finished about forty five minutes later, I spent more time hanging around. I started wondering if, should this kind of thing happen at home, I could take Snotlout to court over the interruption of a business. Such a thought, of course, made me think of home, mainly my family, and then I wanted to punch something.

The twins saw me on the roof, and when I asked them to put the ladder back up, they laughed at me and left, so that put them on my shit-list. Fishlegs saw me on the roof, too, but I didn't ask him and he didn't help. He was probably afraid he'd get a splinter or something, anyway.

Then there was a multitude of other Vikings that passed by without helping, and I was stuck on this roof for the better part of the afternoon before Hiccup showed up and kindly righted the ladder for me.

I was overwhelmed with relief once my feet touched the ground again.

"Thanks," I said.

"Sure, but... what happened?"

"Snotlout happened."

Hiccup sighed.

"He's got to stop," he said. I nodded.

"Well, here. Let me help you out."

Without me saying anything, Hiccup took the hammer and nails, and he even put an arm out to help me carry the ladder. Thanks to him, I didn't have to make a trip back to the house. Guy wasn't home, anyway, and I was already paid.

"Thanks again," I said.

"No problem, Rick. Why don't you come fly with me again?" he asked. I shook my head.

"No, I should try to get another project in."

"Come on, please?"

I stared. "Why me?"

"Why not you?" he countered.

"I don't know..."

"You went with me yesterday, so why not today?"

"Because."

"You know I won't take that as an answer."

I was silent again. Hiccup patted my shoulder.

"Come on, let's go. If we find Snotlout in the air, we'll teach him a lesson," he offered.

I was quiet again, but I slowly found myself following Hiccup.

"That's the spirit!" he said. Once again I was led to the house, and Toothless smiled over to me.

_Hello again._

"Is it normal to hear a voice?" I asked lowly. Hiccup nodded.

"I told you, Toothless can talk to you if he wants to. Here, want to help me set him up?"

I shrugged. He pointed to the saddle.

"Just place it on his back between his wings. There are belts at the front and back of the saddle that clip around his belly. Don't make them too tight, though."

_Please don't. It makes it tough to breathe, and I'll regurgitate my lunch... Unless you're hungry?_

I thought he was joking, but the look on his face told me he was dead serious.

"No."

_Let me know if you change your mind._

The belts were tough to clip, because I found it difficult to wrap my arms around Toothless at this awkward angle. He was still very patient with me.

When I was done, Hiccup checked it over, and nodded.

"Good job, Rick."

"It's belt tightening. I can't really screw it up," I muttered.

"Come on, let's get into the air."

So it was that I would again accompany Hiccup and Toothless on a flight. Again, the takeoff nearly sent me to the ground.

"So, Rick... let me ask you something."

"Yes."

He smiled over his shoulder at me.

"How do you like Berk?"

"It's cold, snowy, and the food is bland. Reminds me of home."

"That reminds me, where are you from? You never really talk about home."

I had a few options here: I could just ignore the question, but then I'd be digging myself into a deeper hole. If I answered honestly, it'd give rise to a multitude of other questions, which would probably hurt me. I could lie, but if I mentioned a land that did not exist, I'd lose Hiccup's trust. I thought about it a little more, and I figured out a possible tie-in between options two and three: who is to say that there is such a thing as Colorado here?

"I'm from somewhere cold," I said.

"By chance, are you from Kamui?" he asked.

"I am," I lied. I felt bad at that point, as if part of me wilted from the simple fib.

I don't know why. It was only Hiccup... but there was something about him that made anything less than being honest feel bad. I'd known the guy for what felt like months, and at the same time I knew next to nothing about him. When was his birthday? What did he like to do other than this? What's his favorite food?

Moreover, why the fuck did I care? Why did it matter to me that I lied to Hiccup and Toothless? I've been at best cold to everybody on the island. Here I was, being taken for another flight even though I didn't even want to go... I should be furious.

I should be... but I wasn't. The smallest piece of my subconscious was enjoying these sessions. Admittedly, there is something about it... having your legs dangle in the air, between the wings of a dragon, no less, I guess there's more to it for me than "It's alright", or whatever nonsense I'd muttered the day prior.

"Wow, I've never met anyone from Nippon before. I take it you weren't born there?"

"I don't remember where I was born. I was raised in Kazooie- err, Kamui."

The more I lied to these two, the more upset with myself I became.

"What do you like to do, Rick?" he asked. "It can't just be home repairs, can it?"

"I hate home repairs. I like the sky."

He smiled over his shoulder at me again.

"Do you, now?"

"I like the stars at night, they fascinate me," I said, clarifying what I meant by that.

"Oh, well, why don't I ever see you skywatching, then?"

I shrugged, and followed up with "I don't know" for good measure.

All was silent for a few moments, and I off handedly made a comment that surprised Hiccup.

"How come it's such a big deal to get into fights around here?"

"You don't understand," said Hiccup.

"I agree."

"Look, I know it's cold now... but winter's not even here yet. When it gets here, and that'll be soon... you'll know exactly what cold is. My Dad is fine with mild confrontations at any other time of year, but as winter is upon us? Everybody needs to be friends, or it's that much more difficult for us to prosper."

I was silent for a moment, and now I felt even worse about myself.

"S-sorry... I..."

"It's alright, Rick. Honestly, I've never met the person that didn't want to punch Snotlout's face in."

He shot me a smile as if to ensure that I didn't feel too bad. I still said nothing.

"Hey, I'm going to go faster now, so hold on!"

That's what he did. I found myself focusing on the flight again. It was odd. When we were flying like this, I felt at home, and not at my old one. This feeling... it was as if I was preparing to accept Berk not as a place where I live, but as a "home"; that is, a place that I can love.

Even though such thoughts brought me back to the past that I so longed for, I found those same feelings of anguish that have been my wont to express were nullified while I rode with Hiccup and Toothless.

It was as if I was preparing, but not ready to accept it as a place I can love yet, though.

It occurred to me now that we were high up again. This time, I was able to better appreciate the serenity that was offered to me.

"This is how we know the world is not flat," said Hiccup. "See how it curves?"

"I know it."

The world is just awesome.

The flight continued on for another hour, with Hiccup talking at me for the most part. It wasn't a tour of the island by any stretch of the imagination. It was just a way to relax.

Though we didn't find Snotlout and I therefore was unable to exact revenge, it was still a good time. I'd think of a different way to get Snotlout back. That was a promise.

When we landed again, I did not find myself so physically tired as I did on the first night. This time, I felt emotionally drained. I was not upset about the flight's conclusion. I was upset with myself, because I knew I was going to wake up angry tomorrow morning.

It didn't feel like any amount of flying would change that.

End of Chapter

* * *

**1,906 words.**

**Kamui is a reference to a location of the same name in _Okami, _as is Nippon.**

**"Kazooie" is a reference to a character of the same name from the ****_Banjo-Kazooie _series.**

**Next chapter covers Rick breaking down.**


	12. Partially Eaten and Soaked in Slobber

**Chapter Eleven**

**Partially Eaten and Soaked in Slobber**

* * *

**"It is something that grows over time... a true friendship. A feeling in the heart that becomes even stronger over time. The passion of friendship will soon blossom into a righteous power and through it, you will know which way to go..."**

**-Sheik**

* * *

It was morning, and I was alone. I threw the water on my face again. I'd made a mess out of the washbasin.

I felt myself sob involuntarily, and I stared at my reflection in a mirror propped above the washbasin.

"Come on... Come on..."

I threw more water on my face. "Pull yourself together," I said to the reflection. I betrayed another sob and tears leaked from my eyes once more. I again stared at my reflection with only disdain on my face.

I bowed my head once more and a tear fell into the washbasin. I abruptly threw more water onto my face, and I started sobbing again.

The top of the tunic I wore was nearly completely soaked through (by now I'd been using clothes I had gotten made with my own money), and I was sure I'd need to clean up...

When I looked up again, I held back another sob. Standing on his hind legs behind me was Toothless, and he was just eyeing me.

"Toothless," I said, trying to beat back whatever emotion had found its way into my voice. I knew very little about dragons, and part of me feared showing weakness before him. What if he went so far as to _kill_ me over it? It was a likely irrational thought, but that's what an irrational mind does: make those thoughts. Irrational ones, that is.

Toothless waddled forward on his two back legs, and I cringed. What was this dragon that has up to now shown no hostility towards me going to do? I had to shut my eyes.

I felt myself pulled against something warm and I felt two paws on my back. When I opened my eyes, Toothless wasn't preparing to kill me for showing weakness, and he wasn't mocking me for crying. He was actually trying to comfort me in a way that felt more or less human, or on the level of a human: he held me.

I inwardly felt stupid. When has Toothless demonstrated any semblance of thought that was less than what I considered "human"?

_Why do you cry?_

"I don't like waking up angry, and I don't like going to bed angry," I sobbed. "It makes me feel broken."

_Why are you angry?_

"Because I am sad."

_Why are you sad?_

"Because I can't go home. I want to go home."

_Why do you not try to make amends with your family?_

"You don't understand. When I say I'm dead to my family, I mean I'm dead to my family."

Toothless said nothing. He began to stroke my head while I vented.

"I got... hurt. I got really hurt and then I died while recovering. I woke up here."

The confession only made me cry harder, and I felt Toothless start to rock a little bit. Why do we do that to those we comfort? Is it an attempt at lulling the insecurity to sleep, or a reminder of how we ourselves are raised? I do not know.

"There, now you think I'm nuts, don't you?" I asked.

_No._

I opened my eyes again and looked up at his. He gave me a mournful smile.

_You're part of the rebirth, that's all._

I took a shaky breath and listened as he spoke.

_Dragons are more attuned to the natural world and the supernatural world than most humans. It is part of The Design: those that die before their times are given a second chance in one of an incredible number of realities. You can live twice._

He seemed to hold me a little tighter.

_Few creatures understand how the rebirth works. We dragons know it, the fairies of a faraway land know it, and the Sun Goddess of the land you claimed to be from is one of those that enacts it._

Though it answered a question, it raised many more that I would try to ask at another time. I was still shaken up. How did any of this help me, realistically?

"If... if you're so intelligent that you can know these things, then do you know of a way to send me back home?"

Toothless was silent, and his eyes met mine. He slowly shook his head 'no.'

My head fell to his chest again, and my heart felt like it shattered into pieces.

_I am sorry. There is no way to send you back from whence you came. You were given this chance that you may make a new life, for your old was taken away too early._

This time, I was silent.

_I am sure it has been stressful. You have been homesick all this time, haven't you?_

I nodded, tears still leaking from my eyes. I took a shaky breath in.

_You're at home now. I know it may not feel it yet, but you are at home on this island._

"Why are- Why do you care about how I feel, anyway? I'm not your rider..."

_Doesn't mean you can't be my friend. Hiccup wants to be your friend, too._

I was silent. He wiped a tear from my eye with a claw.

_Listen to me, son. If you feel this way again, I want you to tell one of us. We can't help you if you don't let us._

I was still silent.

_Please do, okay? _

I nodded.

"I'm sorry," I finally said. He looked down at me, curious.

_What are you sorry for?_

"For always being such a jerk. I have no right to act out the way I do... it's just the way I am lately, and it's not fair to you. I want to be a better person for you guys."

He smiled a toothless smile down at me.

_That's great, I'm proud of you._

Toothless released me, having calmed me down. I threw a little water on my face one more time, and then I started drying the water I'd accidently spilled on the floor.

_I need to go meet with Hiccup. Would you like to come with me?_

"No, thank you. I think I'm just going to get changed and go for a walk."

Toothless eyed me with concern again, so I continued.

"If anything comes up, I'll tell one of you. I promise."

_I'm going to hold you to it. I'll see you later, Rick._

With that, Toothless leapt through a window after grabbing something, and I wondered just how it was that I didn't hear him even enter...

* * *

_**Revolution! Revolution!**_

* * *

Looks like the rest of the town can breathe easy. The storm we were expecting to hit us apparently veered off, because we can see some sun, but a few miles out are quite a few clouds.

I can even see the snow falling in the distance that we could've gotten; it's _that_ bad out there. I'm glad it missed us. Too much snow makes it hard to take off.

Hiccup was standing by the cliff face, eyeing the storm, almost trying to ensure that it did not change direction and pummel Berk.

He turned his head to me and smiled.

"Hey, thanks for getting that for me, bud."

_My pleasure._

When he took the vest from my mouth, he tried to hide the mild discomfort he had in its condition as he donned it. He hid it well, but not well enough.

_If you want it dry, then get it yourself next time. I don't have thumbs._

"I didn't say anything," he said. I lay down next to him and stared at the storm in the distance.

_Well, you were thinking it._

"I didn't say anything," he said again. "I love when my clothes are partially eaten and soaked in slobber. Oh, whoops..." He sat down beside me with a grunt and I playfully smacked him with my ear.

_Rick was at the house when I got there._

"Oh?"

_He was at the washbasin crying. That's why I took so long._

"Crying? Did he get hurt?" asked Hiccup, a concerned tone creeping into his voice. I shook my head.

"Then what was the matter?" he asked. I sighed through my nostrils.

_He was just... homesick. He said he missed his family, for one thing._

"Did you ask why he didn't try to mend his relationship with them?"

Though dragons know of The Design and the Rebirth, many humans do not. Attempting to explain it to a human that has not personally experienced it (and even those who have experienced it, admittedly) creates many undue questions, and it causes unneeded stress. I withheld Rick's ultimate fate from Hiccup because I did not know how he would react to such a story, and I feared the possibility of sowing chaos in town.

All of these Vikings believe in Odin as the Allfather, so hearing stories about Din, or Akatosh, or Okami Amaterasu would likely lead to havoc in town. Odin's one of the enforcers of The Design, too... if that's any solace.

_I did, but it doesn't sound like that'll do any good. He's a mess._

"What did you do?"

_I stuck around and tried to cheer him up a little bit, because that's just the kind of dragon I am._

Hiccup was silent for a moment, likely trying to think of something he might be able to do.

_If you want my opinion, I say we should continue doing what we've been doing: offering flight. It seems to be working. He apologized to me for his demeanor, and promised that he'd tell you or me if he's feeling down like that again._

Hiccup smiled. "You did a good thing, Toothless. I'm sure he appreciates it."

I returned his smile with one that gave me my namesake.

Off in the distance, the storm raged.

End of Chapter

* * *

**1, 677 words.**

**We're now about 55% through the story, I think. There's twenty chapters in the entire story, all expected to be fairly short, not including trivia, which I suppose you can argue to be "Chapter 21."**

**Next chapter is about another flight, mainly. There's more to it, but I'm lazy.**


	13. Hot Water and a Metal Bar

**Chapter Twelve**

**Hot Water and a Metal Bar**

* * *

**"I'm not a drawing expert, which I am."**

**-Robert Benfer**

* * *

I was relieved the storm didn't actually hit us. For one thing, had it hit us, it would've meant walking through snow and praying not to slip on ice that may have formed beneath. For another... we were still working on preserving our crops in case we get hit by famine.

We were hit by famine last a few years ago, but we were fortunate, because we had the dragons to help us hunt. When we were unable to find food, the dragons would always come back with something, being able to move to and from more efficiently than us. They didn't steal from other settlements (thank Odin), and brought us fish if they could find it, or game from uninhabited islands (Toothless assured me). I like to think that we returned the favor when next we had surplus in our nets: there was a feast for the dragons.

"So," I said.

"So," she echoed.

"That was some storm last night, huh?" I asked.

"I know. I almost wanted to just blow off seeing you today," she replied.

"Why, is there another Hiccup in the picture that I don't know about?" I asked.

"One or two, but this one's my favorite," she said, before giving me a kiss.

I smiled sheepishly, she playfully pushed my shoulder, and we were silent again for a few moments.

"So, Hiccup... how's Rick? I haven't spoken to him."

"He's doing better, I think."

"You think?"

"Well, he's not lashing out anymore, at least as far as I know. On the first flight, I kept thinking he was going to demand I land and let him off, but he was quiet. The second time, I got him to talk a little more, and yesterday he uhh... opened up to Toothless here."

"That's what riding a Night Fury can do, I guess."

Toothless seemed to chuckle, but I could tell he was still worried about the boy, given his episode the day before.

"Are you taking him out again?" she asked.

"I'm going to try to today. He doesn't seem to be as angry anymore, but he still seems lost."

"Well, do what you do, Hiccup."

That was what I was planning.

* * *

It took some effort to find him today. He was still asleep when I got up to meet Astrid, but he must've gotten up a few minutes after I left. He wasn't at home.

I thought maybe he was watching the boats (something he seemed to enjoy doing when he wanted to be alone) from the docks, but he wasn't there either.

He wasn't working on any houses today. I saw him on no rooftops and I saw him haggling over no prices.

When I finally found him, he was in front of his stand, almost glaring at it, as if it had missed something important and he was offended.

"A little better, all things considered," he said. He was speaking to Toothless. The latter smiled up at him.

"I won't forget. Hi, Hiccup."

"Hey, bud. How're you doing today?" I asked, before realizing it was a stupid question, since Toothless essentially already asked.

He shrugged.

"I'm having problems getting jobs lately. Everybody has a home that's in working condition, and your real carpenter is making a quick recovery."

So I had heard. I think I have another job for him, but he doesn't really have the skills needed yet.

"Since you're not doing anything, why don't you fly with us?" I asked. Now, given recent attempts, I had to be ready for a fight. Though he lived among Vikings now and was on his way to becoming a Viking (the same why I was considered one, at least), he wouldn't out-stubborn me. Maybe his tenacity earned him extra gold for a repair or two, but mine led me to befriend a Night Fury, so there.

He surprised me, though. He didn't fight me this time. Heh, I _knew_ he liked flying!

"I guess. Nothing else to do, except stare at this stupid thing..."

The stand was unresponsive, and we started walking back to the house, because that's where the saddle was.

"So, let me ask you something, Rick: What kind of dragon is Toothless?"

"That's easy: A Night Fury."

I nodded. "Yeah, that was an easy one. What's Stormfly?"

"Nann... N... Nadder?"

"Good, you're learning! There's something about Nanner, though..."

"I was still new," he grumbled. I smiled at him.

"Relax, I'm just teasing you."

Again, I had Rick get the saddle on Toothless. He did for me, and watched as I put the false tail fin on Toothless.

"Do you think you could tell me what happened to him?"

I paused, and looked over my shoulder at Rick. He looked like he felt guilty asking me.

"When we still fought dragons, and I was still Hiccup the Useless... my number one dream was to bring down a Night Fury."

I tightened the false tail fin for Toothless.

"The thing was, I couldn't leave the house during a dragon attack without creating some form of chaos in town. I was... responsible for more damage on some occasions than the dragons were."

He said nothing.

"I shot down Toothless one night with a lucky shot from one of my own inventions. He fell into a cove. I don't know if it was the bolas or the fall that led to this injury of his... but I know I caused it."

_But I forgave you for it, because we were in a war. If I'd seen you, I'd have probably tried to kill you, too..._

I looked at Toothless, and saw him smiling comfortingly at me.

_I love you as if you're my own, Hiccup. If this handicap means I need you to fly, then I wouldn't have it any other way._

"Thanks, bud. I love you, too."

Suddenly I realized I'd trailed off, but Rick didn't seem to mind. He was avoiding eye contact.

"I shouldn't have said anything. I'm sorry, I just... I... I'll be quiet now."

I got myself into the saddle and invited him to do the same.

"C'mon, Rick. Today's the day I show you why they don't call me 'Hiccup the Useless' anymore!"

* * *

_**Revolution! Revolution!**_

* * *

I didn't like roller coasters much when I was younger.

Come to think of it, I didn't like ferris wheels, either. The roller coaster thing should be self-explanatory. As for ferris wheels... I didn't like them because, last time I went on one, the door that was keeping me from a 300-foot fall to the ground just... opened up on its own while I was approaching the height of the ride. I had to lean forward, and pull the door shut, and I kept my hands on it the remainder of the ride for good measure.

In the previous rides with Hiccup and Toothless, the flight was relaxed, slower, and it was more so I could admire scenery. The thought that I was actually riding a dragon was, though I didn't admit it, awesome. It still is.

What we ended up doing that day was terrifying at first. I didn't scream (I usually don't when I'm afraid), but I was holding onto Hiccup tighter than I held onto that ferris wheel door, which is saying something, considering I'd nearly needed hot water and a metal bar to break the grip I had on that door.

Hiccup must've dealt with worse, though, because he didn't really react to my grip. He was having too much fun.

To be honest, I found the grip loosening as I found myself also enjoying this new flight, but I still made sure I was safe on Toothless' back. If I'd fallen, I trusted that Hiccup would make sure I was caught before anything bad happened, but I still didn't want to try it. Falling, that is.

We were going as fast as Toothless could go at the moment, doing bizarre zig zags, loops, and a few aileron rolls.

"Now, _this _is what flying's all about, Rick!" Hiccup shouted over the wind. Toothless let out a roar of approval, and slowed down to the speed I'd originally been accustomed to to rest himself.

They took me out to the ocean a ways.

"Hiccup?" I asked.

"Yeah, bud?"

"How far out was I when Astrid found me?"

I could tell he was smiling. It was an excuse to do more of the faster-paced flying, and Toothless was eager to comply.

"Let me show you," he said. "Hold on again!"

I think at this point that I could credit my entry to this world to either a wormhole that my soul fell into, or a hiccup in this "Reborn" system or whatever. No pun intended.

I remember thinking land was maybe a mile away, and it was.

"You were very lucky," said Hiccup. "Had Astrid failed to find you, you'd never have made shore. The currents in these waters are very strong. Even our ships have to aim off course in order to reach us from any direction."

"Wonder what would've happened to me, then," I muttered. Hiccup didn't say anything, but I wasn't asking him.

_You would've drowned, most likely. Once the cause was determined by the Celestials, they'd give you another chance, because this one wouldn't have lasted more than an hour. _

I didn't say anything else. In the back of my mind, I swear I heard a voice say, "I'm sorry, sweetie."

_I'm glad we found you. People washing up dead on the shore tends to kill the morale of everybody in town._

"Thanks a lot, Toothless," I said. He let out a draconic chuckle.

Hiccup led Toothless into a few more aileron rolls, and decided it was a good idea to start asking me questions- while we were mid-roll, more often than not.

"Remember Hookfang? What kind of dragon is he?" he asked.

"Monstrous Nightmare," I said.

"That's right, good job. What about Fishlegs' dragon?"

"Gronckle."

I was rewarded by a barrel roll, and by rewarded I mean I nearly lost my shit, because I almost fell.

"You're getting better! Much better than the guy I pop quizzed two months ago."

Two months... Has it truly been two months since the accident? Two months since I arrived in Berk? Have I really been enduring two months of self-hatred, self-torment, pure depression at any given moment...?

Two fucking months? Two FUCKING MONTHS?

I must've been shaking, because I felt Toothless' voice creep into my mind again.

_Rick? Are you alright?_

"Rick? Did you hear me?"

I shook my head to clear it. "No, I didn't."

"What about the twins? What dragon to they ride?"

I was silent. Hiccup slowed Toothless back down to the cruise so I could concentrate. I thought hard.

_Rick? Do you remember our deal?_

"I... I... I'm sorry. I don't remember that one."

"Hideous Zippleback. Four out of five is pretty good, bud. Nice work... are you okay?"

"Have I really been here for two months, Hiccup?" I asked.

He didn't say anything at first.

"Because," I continued. "Because... I don't know anymore. Everything melts together to some extent. I just... I feel like I have no direction. What have I contributed to this place other than angst and housing? 'Oh, Rick? He's that half-decent home repair guy.' I want to be something more."

"Like a skywatcher?"

I blinked. "Yeah."

"Why aren't you doing that, then?"

Before I could answer, he continued.

"Let me guess: My Dad roped you into what he considers 'real skills'?"

He took my silence as an affirmative.

"We're Vikings, if you haven't noticed. Science and Philosophy are not part of everyday life..."

I began to wilt a little.

"However," he continued. "If I can sway an entire village of people to give up fighting dragons and start befriending them... then you can sway my Dad to allow you to study the sky."

He flashed a smile to me.

"Then you can start teaching me about the stars at night. Astronomy was never my forte."

"Okay," I said. It sounded like fun. "You teach me how to distinguish different dragons, and I can teach you how to astronomy."

"I'll teach you more than how to tell dragons apart, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

With that, Hiccup turned us back towards land, and I was surprised to see how far out we've come. Berk was a spot on the horizon now. I could even see a few of the other islands, but the rest were hidden from my view.

Toothless is a fast dragon, though... so it wouldn't be long before we were back at Berk.

"So, did you have fun?" asked Hiccup.

"I think so," I said.

"You think so?"

"I've been building and moping for so long that I'm not sure what fun is anymore."

Hiccup shot a worried look at me.

"Let's keep working at that, then. No more moping for you."

We landed, and walked back into the house after I helped take off Toothless' gear.

"You're good at flying, Hiccup," I said for the first time.

_Hiccup's a Night Fury in the body of a Viking. He was born for the sky._

He smiled. "Thanks, bud. It's one of only a few things that I'm not a total disaster at."

I tilted my head. He clarified.

"I can't use a sword, I can't swing an axe, I can't fight, and I certainly can't build. Remember? Hiccup the Useless."

I followed him up the steps to his room, which took him a little while. He started rummaging through a pile of papers at his desk.

"I have my pros, though. There's riding, of course, there's smithing, and..."

He turned back to me with a piece of parchment that had a near perfect likeness of Toothless on it, smiling warmly. He also showed me a small wooden sculpture of the dragon that looked freshly painted. It shined a bit in the candlelight.

"...I'm pretty good with art."

I stared in awe.

"Wow," I said. "That's... Hiccup, you're an amazing artist."

_Neither of those are even his art at its best._

"Rick, uhh..."

I blinked. Did I do something wrong?

"I'm pretty good at drawing by description, so if you want, I'll sit down with you sometime, and I'll draw anyone or anything for you. You just need to describe what it is I'm drawing."

"You'd do that... for me?" I asked. He nodded with a smile, and I felt a tear leak out of my eye, because I instantly thought of my family.

"You... you guys are awesome, you know that? Don't ever change."

"What are friends for?" he asked. "Hey, why don't we go to the Great Hall and have a bite to eat? I'm starving."

I smiled. "Sounds good."

_Hey, there's a smile._

"Good to see you smiling, bud."

I considered those moments a milestone. I still do, because it was in those moments that I smiled for the first time in two months.

It was in those moments that I smiled for the first time since the rebirth.

End of Chapter

* * *

**2,539 words.**

**There are about 8 more chapters without the trivia.**

**Next chapter covers some stuff that's in another window.**


	14. A Nickname Basis With Jesus

**Chapter Thirteen**

**A Nickname Basis With Jesus**

* * *

**"What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies."**

**-Aristotle**

* * *

In lieu of a belief system to give me comfort, I found a few more simple ways to help me get through the rough patch:

Singing softly to myself. I more often than not sang "Oh You Beautiful Doll", because it's one of the only songs I can actually sing decently/remember the lyrics to. It's not much, but it takes my mind off of this situation, albeit for only a few minutes.

Then there were my sessions with Hiccup and Toothless. I know I resisted the first few times, but... I began to enjoy flying with them, socializing with them, and just being around them.

I was wrong about them. They weren't just being nice to the new guy. They were actually as nice as they let on. It seemed like Hiccup always made a point to be extra kind to me whenever I struggled, and whenever he did, I felt my anguish ebb away.

Toothless was more reserved in his socialization with me on most occasions. We spoke about my predicament, mostly. He filled my mind with many stories of good versus evil between the powers behind this whole "Design" of his (he referred to these powers as the "Celestials"), and as is the case with astronomy, the more I knew, the more questions popped up.

I also quickly discovered that, what I knew about astronomy, which is a knowledge base I've built since I was eight (I'm 20), is nothing compared to what Toothless knows. He's miles ahead of me. I gathered such information that night at the Great Hall; Hiccup had no idea why I looked so blown away while I stared at the Night Fury.

_I'll make you a deal, Rick: If you keep behaving, I'll teach you what I know._

"Deal," I said. He nodded, and we went back to eating. Yeah, it was kind of patronizing, the way he said it, but I am the youngest in that house (Hiccup's almost 23, Stoick's in his forties, and it wouldn't surprise me if Toothless was at one point on a nickname basis with Jesus). I was told to respect my elders as a kid. It's a shame I'd forgotten that rule for these past months...

Also, Toothless was nice, but I was still sort of terrified of saying 'no' to him.

"So, what are you planning on doing about the lack of projects?" asked Hiccup.

"I'm thinking of toughing it out for a day or two in case something comes up. You still need me until the real guy gets back to it," I said.

"I heard through my Dad that he's going to be good to resume building before next week is up."

I took a drink from the mug before me (I don't know what was in it, but it was good), and sighed.

"Yeah, here's hoping I can lecture."

Hiccup laid a hand on my shoulder.

"I know I said that science isn't a huge thing here on Berk, but knowing the stars at night will be helpful to new sailors and riders alike."

I smiled at him. "Knowing what makes them tick is a bonus."

"Exactly."

We finished eating before most of the other Vikings (we didn't exactly feast, save for Toothless, who always does), and headed back home. I was going to point out a few constellations for Hiccup, but the clouds rolled in between now and when we got to the Great Hall. At this point, it was almost nine in the evening.

When we got back to the house, we sat in the parlour to play a card game before bed.

"So," I said.

"So," he replied.

"Fives are wild... You know what occurs to me?"

"What's that, bud?"

I drew a card and trashed another.

"I never thanked you for letting me live with you, Hiccup..."

He picked up the card I'd trashed and then threw away one of his own.

"So... thank you," I said. It felt good to be finally getting this out. "...and thank you for always being so patient with me. It means a lot, even if it may not seem like it does at times."

He smiled at me. I've got three of a kind...

"It's no problem at all, really. I'm just happy to help, Rick."

I stared at him while he looked at his cards, and then I looked down at Toothless, who was eyeing Hiccup with adoration.

"Rick's kind of formal. If you guys want, you can call me Ricky," I said. He drew another card, and glanced at me. "That's what my friends called me, anyway."

"Ricky, huh?" asked Hiccup. I nodded, and saw Toothless give me a goofy smile.

_Then it's nice to meet you, Ricky._

I chuckled.

"Ricky," said Hiccup.

"Yeah?"

He threw away one more card, threw down a full house, and gave me a grin.

"Pay me!"

End of Chapter

* * *

**827 words.**

**"Pay Me" is part of the rummy family of card games. It can be fun, but it's time consuming, and I'm horrendous at it. **

**Next chapter will certainly progress the plot to some extent. Things will happen in it, so hold onto your seats.**


	15. Disemboweled By Beard Hair

**Chapter 14**

**Disemboweled By Beard Hair**

* * *

**"It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men."**

**-Frederick Douglass**

* * *

I've not spoken to Stoick in what feels like a small eternity. It's not that I minded this distance; it's merely an observation. Whenever he wanted to speak to me, I find it's because I either did something worth a scolding by him, or because he wanted to make sure I was still doing my thing, which was building. When I say we haven't spoken, I mean in a few weeks, though we live in the same house (I use the Guest Room at Hiccup's behest). I go my way, and he goes his way.

He's the kind of guy that ignores me when I'm not a nuisance, and I'm more than happy to ignore him, too.

We never chat about the weather, or ask how the other is doing. There are no pleasantries between us, or between his dragon and I, for that matter.

So when Hiccup woke me up early in the morning, saying that Stoick wanted to speak to me, I got a little nervous.

"Well, where is he?" I asked, making the bed and trying to chase the sleep from my mind.

"He's at your shop in town waiting for you. Bundle up, alright? It's very cold out right now."

"Okay, Hiccup."

"After you're done, we'll go get breakfast, alright?"

I nodded, somewhat relieved. Hiccup's suggestion of breakfast afterwards felt like a possibility that he was going to accompany me to this meeting. He is the only person that can stop Stoick from doing something, and I'd much rather have this meeting with him in tow.

He'd be able to talk his Dad out of almost anything, like the punishment of a reforming schmuck like me. Have I ever mentioned that Stoick terrifies me? I've seen the guy pick up a Gronckle before- with one hand. The only thing more surprised at that act than I was would be the Gronckle.

If he could pick up one of those walking boulders, then he could probably be-head me without a weapon.

After I got dressed (I was right, Hiccup decided to tag along, but Toothless was sleeping in), we headed out. Try as I might, I was unable to keep the "I-think-I'm-walking-to-my-execution" out of my body language, and Hiccup, with that eagle eye of his, noticed. I know because he chuckled at me.

"You seem nervous," he pointed out.

"Probably because I am," I said.

"Why's that?"

I looked at him. "Because I've been such an a-hole."

He glanced at me again.

"...Remember?" I asked.

He said nothing, but I swear he was trying to hide a smirk.

Stoick was, as Hiccup said, in front of my shop talking to Gobber about something. He saw Hiccup and I heading his way, and sent Gobber off to do his own thing. Before I'd even reached him, he waved Hiccup off, and my shield nodded, and then wandered over to a nearby bench.

"Great, now I'm defenseless," I muttered.

"What?" asked Stoick. I shook my head. It wasn't anything personal, but I didn't want to meet any of the Gods or Goddesses, because I was raised atheist, and I'm afraid of swallowing my pride and asking them not to let me burn.

As Toothless says, though... this isn't a punishment. Why give me a second chance and personal one-on-one if I was a bad boy? For redemption, maybe... but I'm still afraid.

"...did you hear a word I just said?" asked Stoick.

_Ah, shit... I'm really in for it now!_

"No, sir. I'm sorry, I was miles away. Please don't kill me."

He stared, like I'd surprised him. "Kill you? No! No..."

Stoick pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"You're really making this difficult, you know that?" he asked.

"Sorry," I said again. I'd been doing that a lot lately. Apologizing, that is. It was as if, in all this time I spent preoccupied with myself and my problems, I was keeping some kind of apology debt, and I was now doing my part to pay it off.

"What I'm trying to say is... you've made quite the turn around from what you were when you got here. You're not getting into fights, not yelling at people for no reason, and you even made a few friends. I'm trying to tell you that I'm impressed. Keep it up, okay?"

I nodded, almost unable to contain my relief. I _wasn't_ about to be disemboweled by beard hair, after all!

Stoick patted my shoulder (and again nearly dislocated it), and then beckoned Hiccup back in my direction, though he didn't move, as I was walking towards him.

"Start thinking of another line of work, boy. You're going to need one once Clumsy Crush-A-Lot is back in action."

That last statement dampened my mood a bit, but I didn't let it get me down too much. I planned on talking to Stoick about giving lectures on the sky after that guy started working again.

He went to go find Gobber, and Hiccup and I started walking to the Great Hall. The walk was mostly silent for a while. No words were needed to express what Hiccup was thinking, and I was still on cloud nine considering I survived contact with Stoick the Vast again.

"Hey, Fishlegs," said Hiccup, pulling me from my thoughts. The moment I saw him those twenty feet away, I felt guilty again. I never apologized to him, and this was perhaps another thing that I'd bumbled: I'd failed to accept responsibility for my own actions.

"Hi," I said to him. He was still upset with me, so he waved to Hiccup, but refused me eye contact. I approached, and he retreated behind his Gronckle, which in turn growled lowly at me, as if to warn me off.

"Fishlegs," I said. I took another step forward, and Meatlug's low growl suddenly grew louder and angrier. I froze for a moment, and retreated back a step. With my retreat, the growl lowered again.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? You were right. That's why I did that. I was thinking of me when I hit you. It was stupid of me."

He said nothing, but now he looked at me silently.

"I don't expect you to accept my apology, but I want to throw it out there anyway: I'm sorry for punching you," I said. He still said nothing. "Sorry," I said once more for good measure.

Meatlug eyed me now with a look of... she still hated me, but she at least respected me a little now for saying that. With nothing else to say, I turned back to rejoin a proud, almost smug-looking Hiccup, and we were walking again.

I was actually feeling better about myself again. What a foreign feeling it is...

End of Chapter

* * *

**1,148 words.**

**This has been taking a long time because of class. I've got a ton of homework to take care of this weekend, so odds are there's going to be a wait for the next chapter as well. I'm not dead. I'm just busy.**

**Next chapter covers more flying, and I might include one or two extra parts if I can find the time.**


	16. A Bromance With Chtulhu

**Chapter Fifteen**

**A Bromance With Chtulhu**

* * *

**"If God wanted us to fly, he would have given us tickets."**

**-Mel Brooks**

* * *

Oh, I was having a _hell _of a day. It was likely my last day with this work. I could've had two jobs today, which would've given me a cushion if I couldn't convince Stoick to let me do my thing. I was able to do one of them: another roof repair job. The other would've been a fortune, but it was way out of my skill level. The foundation on that house was fucked, which would've been good for me if I knew how to fix that sort of thing... but I said I had some skill in carpentry. I never said I knew how to build a house from the ground up.

So, as much as it pained me to say it, I told the guy to wait until Clumsy What's-His-Face was back in action.

Now, I was helping some bitter old guy by doing his roof, and he fought me on the price, and then decided to make things harder for me by watching my every damned move. I couldn't breathe in a way he deemed 'wrong' without his nagging about it.

It was a miserable three hours, so I wasn't in the best of moods by the time I was done with the roof. I still had to clean up the tiles I didn't need, and that guy's Mr. Burns looking ass didn't help in the slightest. He just gave me a "meh", and then went inside. Schmuck...

"Hey, any idea where I can get a roof like that?"

When I looked up towards the path, I already knew who it was. I only lived with the guy.

"Yeah, go build one," I said. He chuckled.

"What can I do for you, Hiccup?" I asked. "Please don't say a roof repair."

He brushed some hair out of his face.

"No roof repairs? What would you say to replacing the floor in the kitchen?"

"I'd say wait for Stompy, or whatever his name is."

He smiled.

"How about flying with Toothless and I again?"

"Sounds like a plan. Just let me clean up all this junk, and I'll meet you somewhere," I said, gesturing to the discarded roof tiles, nails, and chunk of wood I'd "accidently" thrown at that codger.

"Okay, how about back at the house? It's where Toothless is, anyway."

I nodded. "I'll be there in a bit."

So I started cleaning up. The thought of going on a flight with my only two real friends on this island, though no longer novel, brightened my day nonetheless. I couldn't wait to be away from this guy's house, perhaps looking down upon its resident in a way not unlike I was thirty minutes prior.

When I was done disposing of the trash (I gave it to Gobber so he could recycle it, and he gave me a little money for it), I headed back to the house. By now, it was two or three in the afternoon, and the sun was well on its way toward the horizon.

Toothless was already saddled up when I got there, but Hiccup was messing around with the pedal, and he had his back to me when I approached. Toothless gave me a smile, and nudged Hiccup with his head.

"Hi guys," I said. Hiccup looked over his shoulder at me.

"Hey, bud!"

Boy, he's always chipper.

"Let me ask you something, Ricky: You're a size 10, right?"

I nodded, then realizing that he wasn't watching me, added, "Yes. Why?"

He moved away from the pedal and smiled at me. The original pedal that his prosthetic clicked into was dismantled on the ground beside Toothless, replaced by a larger one.

"This'll be a perfect fit, then."

My eyes widened. "Hold on a second, what?"

"Well, you've been riding with us for a while. I think it's time you learned to ride for yourself!"

Such a suggestion brought me pause. Suddenly I was brought back to the accident. What if, what if, what if...

What if I locked his prosthetic and we were sent careening to the ground or sea?

Hiccup would fix the fin.

What if I broke the pedal?

It wouldn't break. Hiccup made it.

What if Toothless' wings got too cold?

They wouldn't.

What if we crashed?

"I know what you're thinking," said Hiccup. "Don't worry. We won't go very far or very fast until you're ready, okay?"

I said nothing. At this point, I was just thinking about all the bad things that could happen if I was the rider and not the passenger. I've never even been horseback riding before... but Hiccup's good at many things, not the least of which being convincing me to do something I'm not sure I want to do.

I don't even know how he did it. I'd convinced myself that I wasn't going to be a dragon rider, and the next thing I know, Hiccup's got me sticking my foot into the pedal, and moving it at various angles.

"I don't understand," I said. "Nobody else rides like this, right?"

"No," said Hiccup. "Just us."

I was going to say something else, but he continued.

"Point your toes down a little more... If you can learn to ride like this, then you can ride anything. That's why we're doing it."

"Do you give everyone this kind of instruction?" I asked.

"No, just friends and family, really."

That stuck with me. I knew I thought of Hiccup as one of my best friends (I only had the two on the island, anyway), and I knew he said he thought of me as a friend, too... but knowing that he trusted me enough to teach me on _his_ dragon?

I shouldn't say that. Toothless isn't his property any more than he is Toothless' property.

Another of his unique abilities was the ability to make friends with anybody. I bet he could have a bromance with Chtulhu.

Hiccup didn't have me in the air for an hour and a half. I first had to prove that I trusted Toothless, which was done by my sticking my hand out for him. He pushed his snout into my palm, as if I were to work my will with him.

I only did it because Hiccup asked me to, but I did feel something when Toothless' snout met my hand. It was more than comradery. It nearly felt familial.

After I'd done that, Hiccup ran me through the basic positions to tilt my foot.

I was afraid to get into the air, even in spite of their encouragement.

Still, they managed to convince me. I gave Toothless the squeeze on the shoulder Hiccup always gave him, and then we were in the air.

Hiccup didn't tell me to change the position I had on the pedal, we were only hovering at the moment, but it was... incredible. I was flying this time. I was atrocious at it, but as they've been doing since my arrival, Hiccup and Toothless showed me immense patience.

That's not to say I got better in that one flight. I almost killed us, and when I was feeling reasonably mortified about it, Hiccup told me a story about his own near death experience while flying with Toothless.

The story was a shock to me. For a while now, I'd been thinking of Hiccup as this masterful dragon trainer and rider. That is, I saw him more as someone that failure could not come to, at least when it came to dragons... mainly because whenever he invited me to fly with him, nothing happened that he did not want to happen.

So, hearing about him about seven years ago nearly falling to his death because he lost focus for a moment, scared me a little bit. I didn't want to think of what my life would have been like here if Hiccup had died that day.

Had he been killed along with Toothless, the village would more than likely still be fighting an endless stalemate with an enemy that thinks as rationally as, or perhaps more rationally than they do. Would I have been told to learn to fight? I took Sambo when I was younger for a few years... but I'd never so much as held a sword.

Once again, Hiccup had to tear me from my thoughts, because I almost flew us into a cliff face that jumped out of nowhere. Toothless flicked his ear into my face in mild irritation, but he didn't get outright angry with me.

I took the hint, however, and made sure to stay focused on what I was doing. He and Hiccup appreciated that. The focus, that is.

What else can I say about this first lesson? I almost crashed into that cliff face, for one thing, I accidently got Toothless to bank left and almost out of the sky, we hit a few branches, and an egg sac that looked like it belonged to a spider fell on the saddle, there was the incident with Snotlout, but I sort of hit him in the face with that spider's egg sac on purpose.

That was the highlight of the day. I've always loved a good prank, but that was one of my masterpieces. Neither Hiccup, Toothless, nor myself knew that Snotlout was terrified of spiders, so when the egg sac birthed hundreds of the little critters on him, he sort of shrieked like a tiny girl and ran around in circles wildly until Hookfang got to his side and shoved him into a barrel of goat's milk.

At that point we three were laughing so hard that it was a miracle I didn't roll out of the saddle to the ground we were now safe on. I'd been laughing so hard that I didn't realize we'd landed. After he stopped laughing, Hiccup complimented it, and Toothless did, as well.

I didn't want to be rude, so I complimented Toothless on landing, and I thanked them both for the umpteenth time about everything.

"No problem, Ricky. We'll do this again same time tomorrow, okay?"

I nodded. "Sounds good."

"Hiccup!"

All the fun I'd lost myself in was abruptly washed away. Stoick was walking straight at us in such a fashion that I wondered if I should dive out of the way.

"Did you see Snotlout?" he asked us. I cringed, but Hiccup nodded.

"Yeah, he's in town somewhere, why?"

"No, I mean just now. Someone threw a bunch of spiders at him."

"Oh?" Hiccup asked, playing dumb. "I wonder who that could've been."

"Whoever it was..."

I gulped.

"I need to congratulate. That might have been the funniest trick I've seen since that thing with the goat's milk and the shoehorn."

Hiccup chuckled. "Yeah, that _was_ a good one. Oh, Dad?"

Stoick eyed his son silently, as if he were saying, "Speak."

"I think Ricky wanted to ask you something."

End of Chapter

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**1,837 words.**

**If you're just getting here or to any of my other stories, know that I've not tampered with them in any way. Some of the line breaks that I had on the chapters vanished for no particular reason, or my computer is just breaking. I don't doubt that. It IS pretty old (6 months).**

**I'll try to get around to fixing the ones where the line breaks were corrupted/removed, but I maintain that I DID put them in to separate what needed to be separated, and a few recently just... vanished.**

**Next chapter covers a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Again, be prepared for a wait. I've got house work to do tomorrow, work-work Sunday, and midterms all next week.**

**I need a vacation.**


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